


Love in the Time of Tomorrow

by Epicocity



Series: The Ancienverse [21]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Action, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 20:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 261,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epicocity/pseuds/Epicocity
Summary: Ancienverse Final Book. After an unprecedented era of peace in the world, a new menace arrives, threatening the balance once more. With the world on the edge of a knife, Ash and his allies make a stand against a foe with a deep personal hatred, and just as personal connections to their shared pasts, in the final war for the future of their world. Winner take all. Amourshipping.





	1. A Herald

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello there! Hello, for the last time, it would seem. That's right, you've come to the final Ancienverse story I will ever write. Now, don't be sad; I think this may be some of the most intense stuff I'll write for the series, and there's plenty of it. But it's time it comes to an end for me as a fanfiction writer. Hopefully, however we can make this some of the best stuff you've read.
> 
> Naturally, you need to have read everything that built up to this moment from Love in the Time of Teamwork, all the way to now, long after the Epilogue of the Kalos Trilogy. This will certainly be the darkest installment I've done, but I can think of no more fitting ending. Anyway, I won't waste your time when it's time to read!
> 
> Author: Epicocity
> 
> Rating: T for violence and innuendo
> 
> Pairings: Amourshipping, Laserblade, Snowlily, Marisson, etc.
> 
> Cover done by Captain Luky Greace. As always, many thanks for the amazing work!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon and likely never will.

**Love in the Time of Tomorrow**

An Amourshipping and Ancienverse Finale

Chapter 1

A Herald

"Finish setting them up over here!"

"I'm on it, mayor!" yelled the voice of a strapping young man. The older man, sitting at the edge of the river, dipped his fishing rod into its cool and clear surface upon hearing that. He looked up, watching the newest generation of workers walking back and forth with packs of balloons and streamers. Others were carrying stacks of wood to set up even more stands. It was like a party, by all rights, but not for anything he would have expected. It wasn't  _quite_ that time yet again.

But it  _was_  a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to behold. Aston was just glad that he was alive to actually see it happen.

"Former mayor, are you just going to sit there all day?" At the voice of the current mayor of Ancien City, Aston sat up straighter, raising his fishing pole from the water. Nothing seemed to be biting today; not in the slightest. With a sigh, he realized it was from all the hubbub that surrounded him and the entire city. Knowing that, he gave a toothy grin and looked up at the mayor, her hair pinned back and her lips pursed.

"Oh, come now, Chrissy, I'm an old man," Aston chuckled out, groaning as his knee made a slight popping noise from movement alone. Old age had certainly taken him on a journey in so long a time. Looking away from Chrissy a moment, Aston looked to the beautiful blue sky, watching the Pidgey and Fletchling fly by peacefully.  _Peaceful, indeed_. "Can't you cut me some slack. My body doesn't move the same as it did nine years ago, you know?"

"Doesn't stop you from coming out here to fish every day," Chrissy said with a sigh. She reached a hand up, tucking her hair behind her ear as she stared out over the activity of the city. For once, Aston decided to follow her ever hectic gaze. It was a wonderful thing to see the city truly working as one force; he'd seen it many times, but it still warmed his heart to see it again. Aston closed his eyes and felt the breeze a moment. Maybe he'd take a stroll that day, before everything was going to begin in the stadium. Goodness knew he hadn't been to the mural in quite some time.

"Chrissy, learn to take things at a slower pace in life. Time doesn't wait around forever."

"Exactly, and there's much to do," Chrissy remarked with her usual snappy tone. "We still have to finish setting up the stands and making sure concessions in the stadium are good. I know we don't need to use all of the underground functions or anything like that, but-"

"Chrissy!" Aston was coming to stand now, his fishing rod dropped to the side as he used what strength he had to place his hands on the young woman's shoulders, almost as a support. She had always been headstrong and organized, even when he was a younger man (if one could define the seventies as younger), but her years working in her capacity as mayor had sharpened her into a model of efficiency. It also meant… "Take time to just relax. This isn't the Kalos Team Tournament!"

"Mayor Ast-"

"Ah, ah!" Aston cut her off, placing a finger to her lips to silence her. The woman glared at him from behind her glasses, but he just smiled back. Youth was so impressionable these days. "I know this is a big event for the city, especially those youth that saw that titanic battle nine years ago. To see the heroes they knew, themselves, on television, battling it out with the best of the best of that generation…It's a wonderful moment.

"But in no way, does it mean you need to run yourself ragged!"

"Mayor…" Chrissy's lips pursed even tighter, forming themselves into a thin line. Aston watched her insistently, eyes sharpening with their old flames. The sight of that seemed to relax the current mayor, for her lips finally came out of their line and she chuckled. Her hand reached up and adjusted her glasses. "Very well. I suppose I can take an hour or two and trust everyone to do what they need to."

"Yes, it's all in good hands," Aston insisted, patting her on the shoulders once more. A loud, yet somewhat dulled, roar emanated from the stadium in the distance. Things were really starting to get exciting, it seemed. Thankfully, Chrissy didn't seem to find more urgency from that sound. She just took a deep breath, fiddled with her hair, patted the older man on the back and walked off. Aston watched her go before reaching to his belt and sending his dormant pokeball cascading out.

"Ran?" the sand-colored Pokémon asked, looking around, as though surprised he had been called out. Aston didn't blame his steadfast partner. It had been a while since either of them were so active; not since that day when the sky glowed green. It truly made him think of the reason the whole city was gathering in excitement.

"Well, partner, my old bones don't work like they used to," he chuckled out, picking up his fishing rod with a few groans and tapping Tyranitar with it. "Mind helping an old fella out by aiding these youngsters?"

"Tartar!" Tyranitar grumbled out, and while some would have taken it as disgruntlement, Aston knew how overjoyed his partner was. With a shuddering footstep in the direction of the young working men, Tyranitar stomped off to help. Aston shook his head with a laugh as the young men gratefully handed their things over to him. With sparkling eyes, Aston watched them a time. Those working were probably the same ones as the teens that had attended that fateful Kalos Team Tournament. The same ones that had been given a future by those warriors.

"Ah, I'm very much looking forward to seeing them battle again!" Aston commented with a shout to the sky that went largely ignored. He spun his handy fishing pole around, snapping it into the new configuration of a walking stick. Tapping it on the ground twice, Aston started off through the beautifully rustic streets of Ancien City. Most civilians or guests were heading for the stadium, especially the teenaged crowd that looked beyond excited. It was rare to see so many trainer-age kids here for a time that wasn't the Kalos Team Tournament.

"I wonder if they'll be selling figurines, mommy!" a young child shouted out as Aston neared the city hall. The elderly man looked over to the boy, already wearing a hat on his head that looked ever so familiar. A Pichu slept lazily on his head, as well, scratching its stomach.

"We'll just have to look, won't we?"

"I want one of Ash!" the little boy said excitedly. That came as no surprise to Aston, given the boy's attire. Even for a boy who wasn't yet born at the time of the debacle those many years ago, Ash Ketchum was still a powerful influence. Aston gave a small cough from dry throat as he finally reached the doors to the relatively empty city hall, but a few stragglers remaining behind. Those kinds of thoughts always seemed to lead him there, to that mural, reminding him of that day. Perhaps his memory had slipped away for a few things, but that was one that never had.

The day of the Ancien Debacle, the day that had arguably changed the future more than any other, was seared into the memories of all those that had experienced it, for good or ill.

"Hey, Mr. Aston, you headin' to the stadium soon?" called a young man, on his way out of city hall. Aston didn't feel like summoning the requisite energy to respond verbally, so instead he raised his hand and smiled at the young man. Said young man seemed to accept that answer, throwing his arms around his friends as he smiled at some tittering girls waiting for them near the entrance.

Aston sighed out and neared the mural that was his destination, wanting to look over it and its rich history once more. However, he came to a stop before he even reached it.

Mostly because he wasn't alone.

There was a woman there, a rather strikingly beautiful one.

As Aston approached, he took in her features in the bright light of the hall, her hand reaching out to touch, as if a feather, upon the mural with interest. Aston had never seen her around before, with her prominent cheekbones and auburn hair, small star-shaped earrings hanging from her ears. She was dressed rather simply, a small traveling cloak around her lithe frame as she pulled back. Aston couldn't see much else beneath it, but finished approaching. The woman said nothing; she just continued to stare at the mural. The former mayor joined her.

It hadn't changed all that much in the years, other than the addition to the very end of it. It was still beautifully haunting, telling a history of the space that Ancien City was once built upon. Traveling his eyes along, he saw the edge of the mural, the one with the painting of the bright green meteorite and the shadows of those who had fought in that major battle. While he did so, the former mayor's eyes locked gazes with the woman's and she giggled lightly.

"There's no need to mind me. I just wanted to pay a visit," the woman insisted. Aston blinked, a little surprised that she was speaking to him. She didn't hold a hand out, but turned to him, as if introducing herself. "Deirdre."

"Ah, Aston. Pleasure," Aston said with his usual toothy grin. She smiled back at him, but it caused Aston to only blink further. Her eyes weren't quite smiling, he felt. "So, what brings you here to Ancien City? I don't think I've seen you before."

"Oh, this and that. The tournament, I guess," Deirdre said, reaching behind herself and dragging her hair up, tying it into a prim and proper bun that changed almost the entire structure of her face. "And the past."

"Yes, that's not uncommon." Aston nodded his head, taking his walking stick and tapping it against the mural, to the point that was the farthest in history. "Ancien is rich with history, you know. Many come…well, most come to see the site of the Ancien Debacle. No doubt you've heard of it, despite nearly being a decade ago by now…"

"Who hasn't?" the woman commented, very little mirth present in her voice as she continued to stare at the mural. "I wanted to see it for myself, I suppose. To understand." Aston gave no response to that, unable to truly formulate anything reasonably intelligent that he could say to the woman.

He did, however, take the moment to study her a little more carefully now that she had engaged him in conversation. Up close, she seemed older, with some wrinkles around her eyes and forehead. On top of it, she held herself both with the grace of a woman long used to waiting for extended periods of time. As he thought this, Deirdre turned, her shadow traveling with her and her feet clopping upon the surface of city hall while she began to walk away from the mural. Aston spared another glance to the artwork, noting that she seemed to have been looking most closely at the depiction of the Ancien Debacle.

"Is the site of the meteorite still here?" called Deirdre's voice. Aston shook his head away from it and turned in the woman's direction. She had stopped, looking back at him with a rather coy and unyielding smile. He smiled back, clapping his walking stick to the ground as he moved in her direction.

"What's left of it," the former mayor chuckled, drawing to her side. She continued smiling as the two exited city hall, leaving the mural behind. The streets were quieter now, the stadium having grown louder in the meantime. Deirdre looked in its direction as the two walked along, Aston angling the both of them towards the square. "Can I ask your interest? Most like seeing the site, but I don't think many ask about the meteorite in particular?"

"I'm a fan of history," Deirdre laughed out, swatting at his arm almost affectionately. She didn't dare to actually make contact, though, for which Aston was most grateful (at his advanced age, he was afraid that would make him fall over). "The past is such a fascinating thing. How one can begin a journey, what it means for the future. How it can turn good men into monsters…"

"Like the Draconids?" Aston asked, his feet crunching upon the stones. Deirdre didn't answer at first, not until they had arrived at the square. He once more took the opportunity to look at her. She looked…sad, almost. Or perhaps it was a resigned look. She sighed.

"Something like that," she finally responded. That left a silence between the two of them, staring out over the empty, but beautiful, square. At one point, Aston could remember it as a smoldering crater, yet now it was as lively as ever. Well, not quite right now, as a cry erupted from the stadium. Aston had to take a moment to muse to himself if the opening ceremonies for the tournament had begun to be televised. "I almost have to wonder…what was it like, standing there?"

"Frightening, I have to admit," Aston chuckled out, reliving the memory. He stared out over the entire square, reminiscing. "But, as frightening as it was, we gained a future through those actions. While we may have lost the meteorites, such a defining piece of the town, we gained something more valuable…and you know, I always get the feeling that the meteorites are still here, sometimes, as if parts could never truly vanish. They did make this city for many years, after all."

"Hm, perhaps you're right," Deirdre noted with a smile in his direction. It looked truly genuine, with her eyes crinkling up at the action. Aston shared the smile, looking at the square alongside her. Maybe he was right about that sentimental feeling of his, though it mattered little. He just knew how sometimes the ground would glow green, though it wasn't all that often. Deirdre was soon speaking again. "We use the past to shape the future. Maybe, in some way, the Draconids and the meteorites will always be a part of this town, helping to shape its future.

"And that is a rather comforting thought, to me, at least."

"Yes, yes, I suppose, though it's not like I'll be alive for much longer to see it! Not at my advanced age!" Aston chortled out. He was soon joined by a rather crystalline laugh from Deirdre, as well, and they shared it rather heartily. She seemed to find it so humorous, that she was waving her hand at the air, as if to move the joke and stop herself from laughing. That didn't last long, as another cry from the stadium interrupted them, louder than before. "Well, it would seem the tournament has begun."

"So it has," Deirdre said, ending her laughter. The two turned away from Meteorite Square, looking set to move towards the stadium. The woman took one last look back at the square and smiled before glancing to Aston. "Would you like some help towards the stadium? I'm not here to watch the tournament for long, but…"

"Oh, no, dear, go on ahead. My legs don't work quite the way they used to. I'd only hold you up," Aston insisted, tapping his legs with his walking stick. Deirdre frowned, a melancholy smile passing over her lips as she watched him. He didn't care for any pity, so he just smiled back, and she seemed to accept that.

"Very well. Take care of yourself, Mayor Aston," Deirdre finally concluded with a wave. He nodded and watched her begin walking off towards the stadium. A few stragglers looked to be heading there with her, one or two of them pushing a cart that likely held concessions, hoping to make the tournament showing before it was too late (not that he could tell from his aging eyesight). Aston, however, just watched her go before deciding to take the slower road to the stadium.

"What an interesting woman," he muttered under his breath. "So graceful and upright in her steps, too. Ah, or maybe it's just been so long since I was…The advantage of youth…" Aston continued to chuckle, walking along slowly as Diedre and the others vanished in the distance. When they had, he cast another glance back and thought he could once more catch a glimpse of that green glow present in the ground. Shrugging it off with a smile, he walked on.

That was all in the past. Now was a time to celebrate the present.

* * *

"Thea, you little ball of energy, calm down!" Christopher turned his head at the sound of his wife's voice yelling for their little girl, clearly making a very poor attempt at bolting for the door. He chuckled under his breath and moved just a few inches to the side as his little girl came barreling down the front hall of their home.

"I've got her." That was all that needed to be said, something that Bethany clearly understood in that moment. She skidded into the frame of the hallway, a flushed face as her turquoise hair draped in front of her face. Christopher reached down, grabbing hold of the girl who took far too much after her mother.

"Daddy, put down!" Thea cried, though there was a rather obscene amount of giggling behind it. Christopher shifted his daughter in his hold, making sure to grab her with both hands and hold her up high. Then he smiled at the little ball of energy squirming in his hold. She seemed to stop after a moment of his rather stoic staring, giggling a little more.

"She takes after me, but shuts up around you," Bethany finally sighed out, finishing her stride down the hall. Thea finally stopped trying to get out of her father's hold and was lowered into Bethany's arms. The toddler turned to face her mother, reaching up for her face, something the woman smiled about. "Don't know how I'll handle it with all the excitement in town, Substitute Principal."

"Very funny," Christopher said, folding his arms as he looked over to his wife. She winked to him, taking her hand (as much as she could, given her hold on Thea) and tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Her wedding ring glinted sharply in the light, something that caught Thea's immediate attention. The young man leaned in towards his overly energetic daughter. "You behave yourself, Thea. Don't give your mother trouble."

" _You_  stay out of trouble," Bethany demanded of him. He drew back up, sharing a silent, yet insistent, look with her. She chuckled a bit, and leaned forward to peck him on the lips before pulling back. "I don't want to hear that Nova Town turned into a riot when Seamus loses to Ash…again."

"Pretty sure that's expected," Christopher stated, turning around on his feet and aiming right for the door from their home. Bethany offered a slight huff, but further ignored him as he opened the door. "The class will be rooting for both either way! Take care."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, Thea, let's go play with Vanilluxe while daddy goes to teach his big battle class," Bethany said cheerily to their daughter, heading further back into the house while Christopher stepped outside.

"Vanilla! Vanilla!" Christopher almost snorted at that, and then the door was closed, cutting off all sound from the actual house. The wind whispered through the small and peaceful town once he had. The sounds of ambient bustling from Nova Town's square reached Christopher's ears as he strode towards it. Like so many other towns across the region, no, the entire world, they were preparing for a whole town viewing of the upcoming Champion Tournament, set to begin that very day.

It had been one excitement after the other, and something that had been building with anticipation over the course of that entire week. Seamus, at first, had been the most excited. As Christopher had known for all too many years, any chance to use one of Ash's battles as a lesson usually made the head of their school giddy. Never had he expected to have actually been  _invited_  to take part, though. Rocky, who had taken a break from his time with Elaine's excavation studies to stay in the school, told him to go, especially since he missed the last time such a big tournament exhibition had been happening.

"Yeah, but we all know what happened then, huh?" Seamus had joked before departing just a few days prior. Regardless of that, the blond had had the most infectious grin as he left the town, promising to be back shortly after the tournament's end…leaving Christopher in charge.

_What was he thinking?_  was the only thought running through Christopher's head at  _that_  one. Placing his hands in his pockets, the young father strode down the cobblestone streets for the square, each sound becoming louder as he did so. His thoughts were constantly drifting in and out, towards the battle class he would be teaching, as well as back towards his wife. In just the nine years since Team Brutal had become Team Nova, he was surprised by how much had changed. Maybe that was the reason Seamus had entrusted him with his class.

They sure were lively ones at that. Not to mention Rocky was useless in calming them down.

"So, this trainer with the Absol, Mr. Rocky, we've heard rumors…" said one of the girls that were surrounding his friend. Rocky looked stoic in the moment, but even from the distance that Christopher was now closing, he could easily see how uncomfortable the man looked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, give us the details!"

"You know we like a good story!"

"It's nothing like that," Rocky insisted, nodding his head as though it were obvious. Christopher could now see him quite clearly, along with the rest of the square. Instead of the desks typically used inside their school, various tables were set up in the area, avoiding the fountain, but set in an orderly fashion. Some boys and their Pokémon were arm wrestling on top of one while other girls were either eyeing them or talking to each other, waiting for the "class" to begin. Other townspeople were there, too, sharing in the rather festive feeling. Near to the center, surrounding the fountain, were large television screens, displaying an all too familiar logo: that of the Pokémon League. Finally, Christopher reached the square and neared to his friend.

"No gossiping, girls," he said sternly. The three turned around, looking sheepish and ashamed. "You're here for a battle class. No dulling the minds."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Christopher!" the head girl said, saluting and hooking her two friends by the arms. They stuck their tongues out in a teasing manner while their leader looked insistently at Rocky, as though asserting that they weren't done yet. Then they were gone, and Rocky sighed.

"If I wanted to be treated to teenage gossip, I would have gone somewhere else…" he snapped, still sounding thoroughly annoyed. Christopher refused to address his friend a moment. He just looked around, all of the students getting themselves assembled into their seats. Other adults around the square seemed to be scrambling off elsewhere, as though indicating this was the school's show. From the windows of houses that ringed the square, younger kids were poking their heads out to watch, as if excited that one day, perhaps, they could be joining the school, too.

"Just tell her," Christopher finally commented. Rocky snapped a glare of incredulity to him, but the reticent young man continued to ignore him beyond his initial statement. Instead, he clapped his hands together, while from the corner of his eye, he saw Allison, Seamus' assistant, running up to him with a sheet of paper that seemed to hold the pointers. The students all settled down, staring raptly at either him or the screens set up in the area (a technological marvel that was said to be the brainchild of Clemont and Molayne, not that he was surprised).

"The tournament's opening ceremonies are set to start in…" Allison's voice fell off in Christopher's head and he stepped forward, putting all attention on him. The image on the screens changed to that of a large and excited stadium that was positively pulsing with people.

"Class, you know what we're here for: to watch and examine the battles between all the top tier trainers in the world," Christopher spoke. Some students blinked, while others looked to be way too giddy to contain that sort of excitement. Instead of letting his own voice continue with the talking, he instead left it to the predictable man on the screen to do it.

"Hey hey hey! Welcome one and welcome all!" boomed the voice from the screen, switching over to the very familiar sight of Harrison Kalas, winking to the crowd with excitement. "Here we stand! After months of planning by the League for a tournament celebrating all the immensely strong trainers the world over in an era of unprecedented peace: it's the Champion Tournament!"

"Aw yeah!" one of the boys in class cheered, alongside the girl next to him. Their enthusiasm was mirrored by the crowd in the stadium, and even the competitors that they seemed to be panning over in the crowd. Rocky deliberately looked away, while Allison, still close to him, seemed to slacken a little. If it was like him, Christopher would have rolled his eyes. He didn't, however.

"Here to share a few words with us is Champion Cynthia, who has been at the top of the Sinnoh League for nearly twenty years!" Kalas proclaimed. The pictures on the screen changed to show the rather fetching blonde striding onto a basic battlefield. In her hands was a microphone and she began to speak into it.

"Fellow competitors, and audience members here and across the world," Cynthia began to speak plainly and calmly. It didn't calm the crowd down, though, all of them getting more and more excited with every word being spoken. "As all are aware, this is a tournament pitting those such as ourselves, the Champions, against trainers of equal measure, as well as those strong enough to battle in such an esteemed tournament.

"We live in an age of peace, one we have diligently worked for after all these years. In order to step into that bold new future together, however, we feel it is necessary to celebrate all of those who brought us here to this point as much as possible. To this point, we now declare the first annual Champion Tournament open!"

"YEAH!" the crowd's cry went up, causing the students' to spike right with them. Fireworks seemed to whiz and pop on the screen, and while Diantha seemed to have now joined Cynthia, beginning to explain the rules of the tournament (a simple one-on-one match, it appeared), most of it was drowned out by the following enthusiasm. Faces of ace trainers appeared on the screen, connecting each other with small blue lines, the most obvious faces easily picked out, including one that matched Seamus up with the one they knew as Paul. He was in for a rough battle from the start, it seemed.

"Huh, looks like Ash is battling that guy who beat him in the League all those years ago," Rocky commented. Christopher nodded, unable to really find much more else to comment on. At the very least it would be a good and instructive fight to watch for sure. The class all moved closer, notebooks out, as the field in the stadium changed to one of grass and the first competitors stepped on to the field (it looked like the Elite Four of Kalos, Siebold, against the Champion from Kanto, Lance). "Oh, guess Astrid is battling that Sawyer guy."

"Don't mention it to the girls." Rocky snorted in his direction. As the competitors continued to take the field, all the festiveness practically exploding from the screen, Christopher continued to watch. Some older adults were at the edge of the square, watching now, which was no surprise, but Christopher made sure to keep one eye on his students.

Siebold and Lance stepped forward on the screen, sending their pokeballs out and a static flash glitched across the screen. As a Dragonite and a Blastoise emerged, the two Pokémon ran at each other. The students were already engrossed in the battle when the screen burst with static again. Christopher frowned; he had thought everything worked properly and would ensure no interruptions. Yet as Siebold held out his keystone, Mega Evolving his Blastoise, there was another burst of static.

"Watch the students," Christopher mumbled out to Rocky and he skirted around the edge of the square. No one was paying much attention to him, but his worry for the connection to the tournament was outweighing any discipline. He was halfway around the square, looking over to the cords and generator, when he stopped, feeling he caught sight of…someone. "Can I help you?"

"Help us?" asked a decidedly feminine voice. It was hard to tell in the darkness of the forest beyond Nova Town, but in the light of the sun, he could see two figures standing there, cloaked and watching the tournament on the screen. He didn't know how he couldn't see them before, but it was a sight that sent the hair on his arms tingling. "Hm…yes, maybe you can."

"Steady," said her companion, a gruffer voice on his lips as his fingers played with a pokeball. Christopher's own hand slowly lowered itself to take hold of his own pokeball. In the background, he could even see and feel Rocky moving slowly and stealthily. "That's the famous Nova Fountain, correct?"

"Wouldn't call it famous, but it's caused its share of trouble," Christopher stated plainly. A small outcry from within the crowd of students indicated an unfavorable match…or perhaps there was yet more static. He swallowed. "You here to watch the tournament?"

"No," came the easy response. The first one, the woman, turned with a small controller in her hands. "We came for the town."

"Tyran-"

"Slaaaash!" One moment, Christopher was pulling his pokeball out, the next, he was suddenly slashed against his midsection, falling back as though the attack, itself, had been imperceptible. Thankfully, the blow appeared to have not cut quite as deep as feared, allowing him to jump back and finish tossing his pokeball. Tyrantrum emerged, slamming onto the ground with a growl.

"Rhyperior, let's wreck!" Rocky's booming voice was heard next to Christopher as he clutched at his slightly bleeding chest. Looking up, an Aegislash was floating there, unsheathed and glowering menacingly with its singular eye. Christopher whipped his free hand out to hold Rocky back as the sound of loud footsteps indicated the one thing he feared: the students were well aware of whatever was going on in the square.

"Fighting's not the priority," he said to his friend. "The students."

"We can fight, Mr. Christopher," said the boy that had first cheered as the tournament began. Neither of the strangers at the edge of town seemed to care much for them, though. On the screens, there was nothing but static. Christopher stepped forward, even with the warning laced through Rocky's eyes.

"No. Get to the Pokémon Center," was Christopher's response. He removed his hand, wincing at the smarting pain now on his chest. "Allison, go." There was no immediate response, but what seemed to be stunned silence, in return.

"NOW!"

"Sacred Sword," came a cool command. Christopher stepped forward, his foot slamming powerfully down on the cobblestones. Aegislash whipped around in midair, its blade glowing a bright blue as it elongated and shot straight for him.

"Dragon Tail!" the young man shouted sharply. Tyrantrum spun, his large tail glowing green. It slammed right into Aegislash, sending it veering off course and colliding with the fountain. The screens near it broke apart, tumbling across the square. Thankfully, the students had already gotten out of harm's way, with Allison ushering them out.

"Rock Wrecker!" Rocky roared alongside him, a snarl on his lips at the challenge presented. Neither of the hooded figures made another move, unless one counted the woman, who held her device up and clicked on it. A light buzzing filled the air, and Christopher found himself scanning the area, all while keeping another eye trained on his surroundings. Asking why these people were here seemed like such a redundant and pointless thing to do.

"Perior!" Rhyperior finished lobbing the large chunk of pulsing-red stone towards Aegislash's prone figure. The humming increased, and Christopher looked up, seeing little black machines floating upwards, filled with a frightening intensity and surrounding the form of the largest Beedrill that he'd ever seen.

"Rocky, pull back!" Christopher demanded, grabbing ahold of his friend and pulling him away from the center of the square. Tyrantrum did the same, nudging Rhyperior and pushing him along. Just as they both pulled back, Aegislash flipped around, securing itself inside its shield. The stone slammed into it and rebounded, crashing through all of the tables and desks in the area. Naturally, the fountain remained unharmed.

The force of the collision was enough that Christopher and Rocky were pushed back, near to one of the Gates closest to the school. The students seemed to have fully exited the square, and more trainers within the town had arrived. Christopher spat on the ground; where was Seamus when one truly needed him?

"Pin Missile Explosion," called the woman, now affixing her remote control to her wrist and pressing a button. The drones rose up into the air, swirling around the Beedrill's figure. Said Beedrill raised its stingers, pulsing with a powerful yellow glow, and then it fired them upwards. The streaks of Pin Missile were yellow in color, and it wasn't the only thing attacking. So, too, were the drones, firing their own yellow projectiles into the air, as if mimicking Beedrill.

"Rock Slide!" Christopher ordered, clenching a fist. Tyrantrum roared loudly, his jaw opening wide. Above the drones emerged large, gleaming stones that were set to rain down upon the enemy. He wasn't the only one attacking; while Rocky seemed to be standing back, other trainers were ordering projectile attacks upon them.

"Hypnosis." Christopher's brow furrowed. That wasn't a move of Aegislash's, though the blade moved so fast it was hard to tell. There was no time for thinking on it, as the blade was on the move, unsheathing and slashing across the air with extreme accuracy. The stones were flung away, slamming into some of the Pokémon that were attacking back. Others nailed their trainers. Those not hit by the attack suddenly froze in place or dropped to the ground. Tyrantrum looked to struggle.

"Hammer Arm on those guys!" Rocky demanded. Christopher's eyes went wide, watching the situation closely. Only those closest to the opponents were well and truly frozen, and Rhyperior…

The Pin Missile collided, raining upon the square. Combined with the attack of the drones, Christopher couldn't even open his mouth to order an attack. The projectiles slammed into the cobblestone, ripping it apart, blasting the tables into splinters. It was just like before. Just like…The explosion lifted Christopher off his feet at the thought, grabbing hold of Rocky as they were blown on to the street.

Their bodies hit it with a gasp, rolling off to the side involuntarily until they slammed against the iron gate that led to the school. Christopher scrambled to his feet, hacking a bit from the dust particles in the air. He looked towards the square, noticing that it was all but demolished, save for the gates and the fountain. Numerous Pokémon were down for the count, their trainers right alongside them. Even Rhyperior was heaving, exhausted from having taken a huge brunt of the hit. Tyrantrum seemed all right, but more concerning was the continual humming noise.

"I'll leave you to handle the square," the woman said and Christopher could see her emerging through the smoke. He finished standing, trying to pull Rocky up. Ever closer, the woman stalked, her Beedrill and her drones moving forward. There was a loud ripping sound in the background, as if Aegislash was flitting back and forth, cutting down all opponents.

"Don't be too long…you know our purpose. The blood of innocents isn't quite the objective," called her companion. Christopher's body began to shake.

"Well aware. We just need to set the bait for it all," the woman said. Her face was still concealed, but as she came closer, Christopher could see the smirk on her lips. His breath grew shallow, fear setting in. He squeezed his eyes, not believing he was truly feeling this way. Battle after battle he had been through…why was this woman making him shiver? Was it because of Beth and Thea, hopefully somewhere safe in town…?

"Rocky, get up!" he said, his voice warbling just a bit. The woman was bouncing with every step, drawing closer. "Come on!"

"Ergh…" Rocky was groaning, trying to get up, as well, but Christopher could see the wound on his side, one of the planks of wood impaling him.

"Tyrantrum, Head Smash!"

"Hyper Beam," the woman's coy smirk called out. Tyrantrum, having recovered from the blast of Pin Missiles earlier, charged through, blazing with a bright yellow light and aiming for the woman with her little army of drones. The drones broke formation and Beedrill pulled back, stingers glowing with a dark fury. Meanwhile, the woman raised her arm, something glittering on the control panel there. She touched her fingers to it and Beedrill began to change, glowing with light. Tyrantrum blasted down the street, ripping up more of it as it slammed into a set of drones. The light around him began to sputter.

"Drrrrrrrillllll!" The buzzing Beedrill finished transforming, finished Mega Evolving, and then it fired the dark beam. Tyrantrum was caught in mid-attack, its maw opening wide when the blast fired, consuming him. Christopher screamed, but couldn't let out a word. The beam consumed them all with dark intensity, and they were flung back.

Wood tore apart, dirt and weeds flying into the air with it. Christopher flew back, slamming into a stone statue in the garden as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Rocky received the brunt of it, spiraling all the way to the back garden of the school. The door flew off, the windows were shattered, and like an enormous typhoon, the whole school was almost blown away. Christopher slid down the statue's front, looking back to see that Rocky was groaning, but very much alive. Tyrantrum, however, was down for the count, head collapsed on the road with ragged breathing.

There was a crunch of footsteps on the grass leading to the school, and Christopher looked up to see the woman there, a small speck of her mint green hair flickering out from beneath her hood. She kneeled down.

"I'm terribly sorry, but it was a necessity, you see," she spoke. Christopher struggled to stand, hand gripping at the stone. "We needed the point and…well, other reasons."

"What…are you…?" The woman reached up, placing a finger to his lips. He couldn't see anything; could only hear the screams in town. The woman looked up, beyond the now wrecked school from her attack, to the graves in back. She sighed and shook her head, a light, nearly sadistic, smirk playing upon it.

"Sacrifices, hm…? One more, then." The woman stood and began to walk away. Christopher got up, looking back to see Rocky standing and pulling the wood out of his side. He was moving sluggishly, but attempting to catch back up, like he wanted to make one last assault. The woman turned, and Christopher saw it, felt it: bloodlust, sadism and intensity. He moved. "Fell Stinger."

"Rocky!" Christopher roared, finally finding the adrenaline to push himself up and dash for one of his best friends. Said young man's eyes widened as a searing pain filled Christopher in the back. He gagged, cried out as the heat and pain shocked through his system while the stinger bore itself deep into his back. There was a snapping noise as Christopher fell to the ground, the appendage removing itself so he could. Once he had, his head turned slowly, and he looked over to the woman, now reunited with her male partner, and the drones, as they fired one more Pin Missile to the air. In that moment, they seemed to vanish like shadows into the momentarily pulsing red light of Nova Town.

Rocky screamed. Christopher closed his eyes.

The Nova School exploded once more.

* * *

It was madness. The world. The news. And especially the location which ARC had set up as its latest base. All Lionel knew was that eyes on the ground had reported a most disturbing occurrence at Nova Town. It wasn't one he expected, but it  _was_  one that needed to be dealt with almost immediately.

"Chi, Theta, report," his voice snapped the second he entered the room. There were small windows inset to the building, allowing just a little bit of light. In the corner of the room were Aidan and Tau, speaking quietly with one another. Time had changed them all little, if only that they were older, now.

"We're still trying to make sense of things," Chi ordered, huffing on his glasses to clean them. Theta was silent, holding a pair of headphones to her ears while her lips were set in a frown. Lionel stopped at the edge of the room, looking out into the corridors. There were mutters in those corridors, some of their younger members chatting. There was no doubt that the news was traveling through the organization quickly.

"Has word reached the Pokémon League yet?" Lionel now asked. He gave another glance down the hall of the abandoned office building they were in. Aidan turned away from his conversation with Tau.

"We haven't managed to reach them as of yet," Aidan said in a lamentable tone. Lionel finally snapped the door closed and decided to give himself the chance to breathe. He had already been following up on the rumors of something going on in the Johto region, where they had decided to make base for a few weeks, barely having touched down in Azalea Town. Now there was something in Kalos  _and_  the League seemed unreachable. He sighed out.

"That tournament, huh…?" Lionel breathed. He closed his eyes a moment, trying to steady himself further. Seconds in, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked to see Aidan there, as unconcerned as ever, his glasses highlighting everything that was going on behind his eyes. "Pssh, sorry. Just stressful."

"Any news on what's going on elsewhere?" Aidan muttered to him. Lionel pursed his lips, stepping away for a moment to look out of the window to the small city they were currently stationed in. Aidan went with him while Tau returned to Chi and Theta's side, the squad listening for whatever they were looking for.

"Nothing." Aidan blinked, but waited for Lionel to elaborate. "We went there, but there was…nothing. Not a single soul, person or Pokémon. Then you called me back."

"That's disconcerting," Aidan stated. Lionel nodded and quickly decided to put his thoughts together, not letting his tired mind get the better of him in such a situation. "Sorry. You need a moment?"

"Just a second," Lionel indicated with a smirk to one of his oldest comrades. Aidan seemed to understand, and walked over to speak with Alpha Squad. The dark-skinned man leaned forward, placing his forehead against the glass of the small windows. There were some people walking past, completely oblivious or uncaring to the fact there were people in the recently abandoned and foreclosed office building; they'd kept it rather quiet, after all.

Sounds were still heard in a dull roar beyond the door he had closed earlier, indicating just how affected all of ARC seemed to be by the news. Not that they were a very large operation anymore. In a time of peace, those who sought out to protect artifacts were hard to come by, though they did have those people that occasionally trickled on through the League, and their work was still an altogether fulfilling one with new things and new quests every day.

Until the odd case would appear, like the one in Unova. Or worse, like the call to check out Azalea Town in the Johto region on the League's request.

It had seemed a simple call, only for himself and a few of the select agents he was with to arrive and find the place utterly empty, as though the citizenry itself had vanished. That was enough to put Lionel on edge. Things like that didn't happen in a time of peace. Things like that  _usually_  didn't happen at all. And that became the very reason for Lionel's own unease, with various theories roiling around inside of his brain, joining with others he had already been contending with before then. It  _could_  have been some sort of artifact, yet Lionel was unsure…not that he had the time to wait around for an answer or to explore the location; not when Aidan had called with the news.

"I have some confirmation," Theta spoke solemnly, drawing Lionel out of his own reverie. He didn't like the tone in her voice, but nevertheless turned in her direction in order to listen. "It appeared there was a cease of all communications in Nova Town around the start of the tournament. No messages in or out, and it would seem that our own informant on the ground was only able to do so because we have such a different network."

"What happened there?" Aidan asked, folding his arms and looking disturbed. Lionel swallowed a little, looking out of the building once more. Less people were around now, so that was one less concerning thing.

"Still unclear, other than the school being damaged. Our ally couldn't get close," Theta sighed out, finally removing her headphones and sitting back with a sigh. "More than that, a message has been relayed to the League, but it's taking time. I guess there's been some interference with communications on that side, too."

"An attack?" Tau questioned. Lionel's brow furrowed. He knew the man meant it less in the sense of an obvious attack that was made on Nova Town, but also whether there was an attack on the League itself. It seemed odd for any communication issues to exist within the League. That would only mean that they would be targeted specifically, and no one he had ever heard of could manipulate  _that_.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Aidan spoke calmingly. "It's still early days, and we don't have enough information to make a rash judgment call. I only wanted us all to discuss this because if we  _do_  have a problem on hand, the League will need all hands on deck."

Lionel remained silent, contemplating the information being given. Odd disturbances in Unova. A disappearance in Azalea Town. A strike on Nova Town. A lapse in communication with the League. It was all very cloak and dagger. His hand patted at his pocket, feeling the communications device he had there. His worry was increasing tenfold every passing second…and that was usually Aidan's job!

"Either way, this is rather disturbing…as have the energy readings we've been detecting lately," Chi spoke in his usual measured tone. "We know that we detected readings in Azalea Town, or so it seems from the small data Derek sent us while you were in transit, but judging from your face, that didn't go well. There was also that strange orange glow in Unova that you had mentioned, though whether it gives off power or not is something Derek's data was unable to fully confirm, even if I'd hypothesize that it's the case. Monitoring the sky as best we could after you left that sanctuary, we saw no change, except for the obvious hue in the sky, but that could have been from the natural barrier, too."

"You don't think someone's trying to force something, do you?" Tau asked, stroking his chin as he cut over Chi's musings. Lionel decided to head things off, finally stepping forward to intervene with the conversation.

"Now, now, calm down," he said confidently. "There are some things that I've been concerned about lately, especially where those different rocks in Unova are concerned, but we don't have enough knowledge to act on as of this moment. I'm not even aware of anything that could make these things react after all this time."

"Unless you count the rumors," Aidan noted, as if reminding him of the fact. Lionel sent him a puzzled look at that one. "We were so concerned about Michael's plans for Unova at the time, but don't you remember? There was an object that seemingly vanished and never resurfaced."

"Vanished, hm?" Lionel noted. It may have been an object and not people, but it was still worrying when one considered Azalea Town. Not wanting to delay his attempt at getting a response any further, Lionel dug in and pulled out his communications device. The others watched him for just a moment. "Team Azalea, report."

"Reporting, sir," called the voice of Derek over the device. It sounded scratchy, further enforcing the point that perhaps there  _were_  some issues with communications. Lionel waited, his silence indicating his thirst for information in that moment. "We've been combing the town since you departed, and weren't able to find a single living soul."

"Then what do you think-"

"Sir, we checked underneath the well…" Derek's voice was heavy, much like Theta's, and Lionel could already tell that he wouldn't like what he'd hear. "They were there…piled. It looked quick and painless, even with the blood, but all I could say is that it was like a shadow of death crept over them in the night. I don't think there was any artifact involved here, no matter the readings that Chi indicated from my data. Just a purplish glow from beneath the well."

"Dead?" Tau asked in immediate concern. "For what reason?"

"I can't confirm," Derek stated, the heaviness in his voice still present. Lionel's mind was churning in multiple directions. A mysteriously murdered town, energy spikes that weren't fabricated but had no source, and then the attack on Nova Town itself, which was far showier than what Azalea Town would have one believe. As Lionel put a hand to his chin, he began to think carefully, even while Derek gave the details and pictures of what he was seeing to Aidan. Was there a mysterious organization in the works? They had spent much time cleaning up any formed organizations that Michael had influenced over the years except for one, which they kept a very deliberate watch on, but had heard nothing potentially harmful from recently.

_No…that wouldn't be possible…_ Lionel mused to himself, trying to put things together. Michael's influence was surely gone by this point, with ARC already having spent years clearing away the detritus left behind. Sometimes with help, but mostly working within the shadows. And while there may have still been things lurking in the darkness, it was now all too easy to expose the light on them. Their peace, nearly a decade after the true war, had been hard won. Yet, there was still a new, incontrovertible truth in this moment.

The world was moving again.

"Continue to observe and report," Aidan was speaking as Lionel pulled himself out. "We'll send more to you to help…with the bodies. In the meantime, Theta, can you contact our special team? We'll need them to get information that's vital. They haven't been slacking but…"

"I'll send the team out," Lionel noted with a wave of his hand as he turned right back towards the door. His mind was still thinking, now wondering how to sort out the mess in Azalea and whether he'd missed something both there and in Unova. Perhaps there were two forces…or maybe they were just trying to throw them off the trail…or maybe they weren't even connected at all…The possibilities were near endless with so little information. Lionel opened the door, poking his head out to three young women that were chatting in low tones. "Anna, Missy, Clarise, I need you to-"

Lionel stopped mid-sentence, realization taking over his mind. It wasn't possible. Had they really…? "Yes, sir?"

"Everyone, dow-"

_BOOOOOOOOOOM!_

The room and hallways exploded around Lionel, sending him flying down the corridor, blood and cuts appearing all over his face. His head slammed against a wall as that wall was ripped away from him, practically conflagrating around his figure. He coughed, hand reaching for his pokeball in seconds and tossing it out.

"Protect…" he wheezed. Smoke billowed in front of Lionel's eyes as a honeycomb shield appeared. Another explosion ripped through the hallway, but Lionel was protected, if pushed back from the sheer force of the blast. He aimed to stand, pushing against what was left of the wall. Loud crashing sounds indicated the building's collapse, despite the leader of ARC being unable to see anything through the thick smoke. He coughed again. "Anna! Missy! Clarise!"

There was no answer.

Lionel stumbled forward and looked up. The area above him was veiled with smoke, yet there was no longer any ceiling, but just the sky above. The whole building had to have been utterly destroyed. Placing a hand on Banette, Lionel walked forward and almost tripped over something. His face contorted into one of pain when he looked down and saw all three of the women staring up at him, lifeless.

"Li-Lionel!" coughed a voice from the area of the room he had been in. His heart raced and he aimed for it, recognizing the voice as Aidan's. The smoke cleared a little. Some debris and pebbles fell from the wreckage of the building they had been in, and screams pierced the air, though none were close by. Lionel stopped, and looked up, towards one of the few remaining pieces of the structure that was intact.

"Aw, that's a shame…" The voice, gravelly and playful, sent chills down Lionel's spine, and he came close to Banette. "I had thought all of you had died in the explosion, but it looks like there's still…one, two, three, four…five of you left."

"Who are you?" demanded another voice from the space of the room. It sounded like Tau, though Lionel breathed no easier. His words, this man's words, were like a bludgeon. They were dead. Lionel's hand gripped tighter.

"Your grim reaper, don't you know?" the voice called. Suddenly, a large gust of wind came from the direction of the room, clearing out all of the smoke in the area. The covering haze vanished, revealing the numerous agents of ARC now laying charred and dead in the area. Only those in the room seemed to have survived due to Chi's Doublade and quick actions.

More important, though, was the man atop the slowly crumbling structure. He had shaggy, dirty blond hair and an almost melancholy look upon his face. There was a black cloak around him, nearly allowing him to blend into the smoke, and with him was a Camerupt, already seeming to be in a Mega Evolved state, it's mini-volcano churning smoke. Lionel stepped forward, careful to avoid the bodies of his fallen compatriots. Small pieces were coming together in his head, forming sickening conclusions.

"You killed the people of Azalea Town?" he asked sharply. The man turned to look at him, tapping his head. "All to lure us out, was it? You killed them to call us away, and damaged Nova Town to call us back…"

"This is why you're a threat," the man spoke, clicking his heels against the wall. "You figured that out so quickly…and we don't want someone like you interfering and finding things they shouldn't. She wanted to make sure of that."

"She?" Aidan's voice called. Lionel once more stepped forward, throwing his hand out, as if telling his long-time comrade to stay put. The man above didn't drop his melancholy look, but nor did he answer. Lionel's gaze shifted back, as if telling Aidan to leave, but the man didn't budge.

"And why is it a shame that there are only five of us?" the dark-skinned man decided to inquire instead. Their attacker raised a finger, snapping it lightly and Camerupt, with surprising skill, leapt off the platform and crashed upon the ground.

"Because it means I'll need to kill you personally, instead," he answered. He snapped once more. "Rock Polish!"

"Banette, Snatch! And Mega Evolve!" Lionel called. His hand threw itself out, touching to the charm bracelet. Banette began to change as Camerupt's body glowed. Then it shot forward, rushing straight through Camerupt before disappearing, its speed enhanced greatly. "Aidan! Get out of here! You, too, Alpha Squad! Rally our surviving memb-"

"Earth Power!" Camerupt gave a loud cry, the area around its feet glowing a bright yellow. Then the earth exploded, pulsing forward as Banette proceeded to zip along, avoiding it in its Mega Evolved State. The man was truly not going to give any of them a moment to breathe.

"Phantom Force!" Lionel screamed. Behind him, the sound of movement indicated that, at the very least, Alpha Squad was heeding his orders, crawling their way out of the mess of stones and rubble. Lionel grit his teeth at the thought of it; how many had died from his mistake, his indiscretion. He had thought he hadn't been followed by either person or Pokémon from neither Unova  _nor_  Azalea, so how…

Banette vanished entirely into the mist created from the Earth Power. Lionel tried to track his Pokémon's movements, paying careful attention until it was at Camerupt's backside. It reappeared and went for the blow, landing a decisive hit. Lionel's gaze snapped up to the man, only he was shaking his head, beginning to grin.

"Eruption." Even as Camerupt was flung forward, the ground underneath Banette churned and bubbled with fiery intensity. Then it blasted outward like a volcano, consuming Banette entirely.

"Protect!" came Lionel's next command. The honeycomb shield suddenly expanded from within the Eruption, blocking the rest of the damage from being dealt and splitting the flames. Camerupt landed on the ground, skidding across it.

"You're good," the man jeered across the space. "I'm not surprised. The great and mighty ARC. It was only a small patch of luck that allowed me to pinpoint you exactly…luck, ingenuity and intuition."

"Was it? Pursuit!" Lionel snapped out. The shield broke apart, dispersing the rest of the flames. It flitted through the shadows, jabbing forward onto Camerupt's head and driving it into the ground.

"Camaaaaaah!"

"Now, Phantom Force!" Lionel roared, gripping a fist tightly with a snarl on his face. Banette once more disappeared into the shadows entirely. Lionel stepped forward, raising his other hand in a taunt for the man to come down and fight him. "Then test your luck against me for hurting my comrades."

"Your  _comrades_?" the man said, his grin now full and leering. He finally stepped forward, doing a small flip to land deftly on the ground. "Your 'comrades' are all that was left of a broken and dying world…well, them and those 'heroes'. I consider it my duty to put them and you out of the misery of your sins. Earth Power!"

"Banette!" Lionel screamed, but he couldn't make it in time. The ground glowed a golden color, churning and cracking, even beneath Lionel's feet. He tried to back up, but in mere moments, the man was right in front of him, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him to the ground. It exploded around him, consuming Banette and throwing it through the air. Banette's body glowed and reverted form, tumbling on to the street outside the destroyed and decayed building.

"Oh no! You don't get to go anywhere…" the man pinning him said with the leering grin, now gone fully manic. His voice had lowered in pitch, but sounded just as gravelly as before. "You see…your whole organization is the target: Team Rocket's target."

Lionel's eyes widened, and he turned his head as best as he could. He could see no sign of Alpha Squad or Aidan…or so he thought. He was slowly losing consciousness, his windpipe constricted.  _Team Rocket…no…they weren't…_

"Scald!" Aidan's shout made Lionel's eyes snap open as the heated water blasted forth, colliding with the unknown man and driving him back towards his Camerupt. The enemy scoffed loudly, while Lionel coughed. He suddenly became aware of the pain all over his body, and in his legs. A piece of rebar, broken off during the last Earth Power, had lodged itself in his leg, making him unable to move. "Team Rocket, you say? What are they planning? Whose idea?"

"As. If. I'd. Say," was the man's taunting response. He reached behind himself, placing a hand gently atop Camerupt. "Let's just say, the world you know will burn…be splattered with blood. And it all begins here, with you. Explosion."

"Ai…dan…run…" Lionel choked out. He attempted to sit up, but found his leg wouldn't move at all, barely twitching in the moment. "Go!"

"Like hell I'm leaving you behind, Lionel. Jack wouldn't-"

"Jack's dead!" Lionel shouted angrily. He snapped his head, feeling the pain race up his leg, causing his sentences to become choppy. "But you're not! Now get out of here! Live, Aidan! We know one…part…so…Find him! End this!"

"Lionel!" Aidan screamed, but the dark-skinned man wouldn't take no for an answer. Instead, he found what little strength he had to reach up and rip his keystone from his charm bracelet, part of the charms remaining attached to it. Before anything else could happen, he tossed it towards his long-time companion. A shadow, sluggish but sure, arrived to grab it and a pokeball as Banette tackled Aidan. It cast one look back at Lionel as the whole entire area glowed red with Camerupt's impending attack. There were tears in his faithful Pokémon's eyes, but it nodded. Lionel pushed at the ground, struggling to stand, all while casting a venomous look towards the man that had attacked them. He wasn't smiling anymore, but looking at him with respect.

"You fought me to let your comrades get away…how admirable…" he said with a light sigh. "I wish you could have made it to the new world with us, but alas, it's not to be. Goodbye, Lionel of ARC. May you find peace in the light of my explosions, as your comrades did."

Then the air exploded. More cement was ripped up, the bodies disintegrated. Heat churned at the air and Lionel felt himself already breaking down as he grasped his charm bracelet. Tears leaked from his eyes, and his body shook.  _I'll be there soon…my loved ones…Jack…my comrades…_

His eyes snapped open, facing it with dignity as the building erupted with a blazing and destructive fury that claimed everything around it.

The only thing heard above it was Aidan's curdling scream: "LIONEEEEEEEEEL!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, this was a very big opening chapter! Of course, since this story is set after the epilogue, all promises of who lives and who dies are off the table, and with a lot fates already up in the air, and a major death permeating Chapter 1, you can already see the darker tone this story will take. After all, I haven't made the joke that those who are sent to Johto go there to die for nothing…Ehem, anyway, Team Rocket is finally making a move in the plot, and I think it will be very exciting! Hopefully you all think so too. Just don't expect a Rocket plot like any you've seen before; seriously, drop your preconceptions. In any case, you'll have to wait and see just what happens next! In the meantime, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	2. A Reminiscence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, I feel like I've published a lot…Anyway, before we start I want to remind everyone that, for one thing, this takes place a year after the wedding, which means 9 years after the Kalos Trilogy and 8 after the Alola. Also, this was written and announced way before Rainbow Rocket was ever revealed to us. That said, enjoy chapter 2!

Chapter 2

A Reminiscence

"Whoo! What an exciting and breathtaking bevy of battles we've been experiencing here at the Champion Tournament!" Kalas' excited voice rang across the stadium. It was so loud, it filled even the hallways of the stadium where the competitors waiting to battle were standing. Though, at the moment, Ash was all alone, tapping his foot against the ground.

"You ready, Pikachu? Battle one!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, pumping his fist. Ash grinned, grabbing his cap and tilting it over his face a moment as he did so. The roar of the crowd outside in the stadium was bursting with infectious enthusiasm. The raven-haired trainer had to admit, standing there in the waiting hall and watching the competitor from before making his way down the hall towards Ash with a look of disgruntlement over his loss, that he was just as excited to be there.

He loved to watch the battles, study them and those that were battling, even if they were people he'd already fought so many times before. Being on a vaunted stage with the most famous and touted trainers in all the regions simply helped to enforce that point. Having a lot of his friends around, poised to be potential rivals, or even just support, helped that case. Ash was already surprised at the sheer number of familiar people and high-level trainers that had been invited…even moreso that  _he_  had been invited, despite having known about it weeks in advance!

Of course, there was one person who was missing from those who would have been cheering him and the others on. Knowing that, though, Ash reached up, placing his left hand on his heart and gripping it in a fist, his wedding band shining in the light of the stadium hallway's floodlights. She may not have been there, but he knew she'd be watching without a single pause, if she could.

"So, let's do this, then!" Ash said. The crowd erupted with more cheers, and Kalas' voice rose above all of them, making sure to be heard for the next upcoming battle. It was one that Ash, too, had been looking forward to for quite some time…had been outright hoping for it since the tournament had been announced, along with a handful of others.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is a battle I'm sure that you've been looking forward to! I know I am!" Kalas called. He cleared his throat before going on, every syllable seeming to make him even more excited. "These two legends have made a name for themselves over our era of peace, having first battled each other at the titanic Kalos League nearly a decade ago! Now they meet on the same field one more time! Get on your feet and scream for Ash and Alain!"

Ash didn't say a word to his steadfast partner, resting on his shoulder. He just affixed that battle-hungry grin to his face and walked forward, making his way up the stairs to the stadium's battlefield. It grew in volume with the cheers that filled the whole area, reaching its apex as he finally came to stand in his trainer's box. Once he'd arrived, he looked across the grassy field to where Alain was, dressed in his old colors of black and blue. Clearly, he'd thought that dressing as a researcher for the tournament (or traveling, Ash recalled) was a bad idea. Alain inclined his head, acknowledging him as he reached down to grab his pokeball. Ash did the same.

"Pikachu, I know you usually start us off at a tournament," Ash admitted. Pikachu seemed to shrug and sigh, hopping off his shoulder to drop down to the floor. Ash chuckled, continuing on with, "but I think there's someone else who has been looking forward to this rematch for a long time! Greninja, I choose you!"

"Here it is! The epic rematch! And all on the first round of the tournament!" Kalas was screaming. It was no surprise, given that across the battlefield, Alain had already called his Pokémon out.

"Charizard, time for battle!" With the explosion of light from the pokeballs, both Pokémon emerged on the field: Charizard with a piercing roar, and Greninja with a stoic gaze. So many years had seemed to make them all stronger, seasoned and wiser. Ash's other pokeballs were already twitching on his belt, ready for any other battle ahead; his best were ready to rumble. The referee's flag lowered swiftly, the rules already stated. "Ash, do you mind us going all out from the beginning?"

"Not at all!" Ash said across to his friend and former rival. Alain's hand raised up, pressing his fingers to his keystone, while Ash sent his arm soaring into the air. Looking into the crowd, he could see familiar faces watching their battle raptly, including Clemont and Korrina, the engaged couple observing with excitement (though it seemed more like the latter was strangling the former). In particular, though, Ash caught sight of Diantha, a light smile on her lips. His body was tingling with the hopes of facing off against her one more time. "Let's go!"

The water torrent that had surrounded Greninja broke, forming into the giant shuriken on his back. At the same time, Charizard's own body glowed and changed into the familiar black dragon that had once delivered them a massive loss. Ash smirked a little, feeling the determination in his Pokémon's veins. They weren't losing this time.

"Greninja, use Double Team!" Ash called out. The crowd was already screaming as numerous copies of Greninja appeared across the grassy fields. Alain was grinning too.

"Flamethrower!" Charizard roared, rearing back and letting forth his torrent of blue flame to cut through all of the copies that were converging in on him. Ash flicked his finger across his nose, getting into a near crouch.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja jumped into the air, grabbing his giant shuriken from his back. He spun and twisted through the sky, above the flames, and came crashing down on Charizard's head powerfully with the watery blade. Charizard stumbled as the crowd cheered.

"Pikaka! Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, bouncing up and down with excitement. Ash could feel it, too, as Alain called for his next move.

"Thunder Punch!" Charizard recovered, sending an uppercut imbued with lightning snapping into Greninja's jaw. Ash adjusted his jowls, feeling the smarting blow. Greninja flipped back. "Dragon Claw!"

"No way! We're not the same guys that faced Alain in the Kalos League!" Ash called, punching forward. Greninja got the message, his limbs glowing a white-hot color as he flipped around again and nailed a kick on Charizard's head. The glowing green claw came soaring out but Ash moved his body as if to block it. Greninja's fist made a block before his other one spun around to snap upwards. Charizard flew back from the sharp impact to his body.

"Whoo! Look at that! Greninja is on top of the competition!" Kalas called out. Charizard was pushed back, shaking his head while Greninja landed deftly. He didn't  _look_  exhausted, but from the subtle shifting of Alain's feet, Ash had a feeling that those few blows had already been enough to deal moderate damage to Charizard. "This, like the battles before, is a high-powered fight. One wrong move could end the match in seconds!"

"Then let's end it in seconds!" Ash said, throwing his fist out. "Cut!"

"Dragon Claw and Thunder Punch!" Alain called with a grin. Charizard raced forward, one hand glowing with a bright green intensity while the other crackled with lightning. He soared for Greninja, who whipped out his kunai and raced for the Flame Pokémon. The two finally collided, whirling around each other. Charizard swiped and Greninja ducked. The Flame Pokémon moved his leg and Ash saw his chance, one that Alain, after years of pursuing researching as a passion, didn't see. It was still a fun fight, but Ash could tell his passion was no longer about being the strongest.

"At his legs!" Ash and Greninja both bowed low and cut forward, slamming into Charizard's leg. His Dragon Claw nicked Greninja's back as he stumbled, but Ash was already on the move. "Water Shuriken, slam it down!"

"Ninja!" Greninja called, whipping around with his watery blade, and slamming it upon Charizard's head. Steam billowed out as Greninja jumped back. The crowd, like usual, was cheering, and Ash could already tell the short match had come to a stage of being ready to finish. Both Pokémon had advanced that far over the years, and with so many already watching for the quick high-powered battles, Ash knew it was time.

"Blast Burn!" Alain roared out. Ash shifted his foot, his suspicions confirmed. Charizard was back up as the steam cleared, his fist now burning with a fiery intensity as he plunged it into the ground. Ash raised his arm up, the Z-Ring he'd gotten as a gift from Hala so long ago glittering.

"Let's have a different result this time! Greninja, here goes!" he called to his longtime partner. His arms crossed and then uncrossed before flinging out. The orange shuriken appeared in Greninja's webbed hands, whirling around as Charizard made contact with the ground. Said ground split apart, burning and spluttering as it made its way for Greninja, who brought his hands together and held the whirring shuriken above his head. "Scorching Shuriken!"

"There it is! The magnificent, magnanimous, mystical Z-Move! A high-powered clash! How will it go? !" Greninja reared back and then sent the shuriken whirring forward. Its size and stability burned the air around it, causing the Blast Burn to almost shrivel up as Greninja ducked to the side. His shuriken picked up in intensity and then slammed into Charizard, sending him flying across the field and leaving smoke in its wake. Greninja landed on the smoking battlefield, all the grass seemingly burned to a crisp as it all cleared, revealing the end result.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Greninja is the winner! Ash moves on to the next round!" the referee called out. Cheers filled the stadium and Kalas was screaming his lungs out, while Ash ran on to the field, Greninja turning to him and Pikachu as his form faded away. It was only the first round, but Ash felt proud as he slapped his hand against Greninja's.

"Nice battle, Ash," called Alain's own deep tones, and the raven-haired trainer looked over to see him approaching. Once the two were close enough, they reached out and clasped each other's hands, to the obvious approval of the crowd. "A lot quicker than the last one…but then again…"

"We've all grown a lot stronger!" Ash insisted, pumping one of his fists. Alain nodded, retracting his hand now and giving a chance for Ash to return Greninja to his pokeball. Their battle (well, Ash felt it was more a skirmish) complete, even with the crowd still cheering, Alain jerked his head to tell each other to leave the field. Both of them offering a small wave to the audience, the two turned and headed back towards the hallways together, letting the sounds of the crowd and Kalas fade away.

"Hey! Nice battle!" yelled a voice down the hall, and Ash looked up to see the grinning visage of Seamus running up to approach both of the trainers. Ash and Pikachu raised their hands together in greeting while Alain, predictably, said nothing. "Totally different result than the last time you two faced off, huh?"

"Guess so," Ash said, throwing his hands behind his head. Seamus nodded sagely and Alain continued to remain silent. "I'm just glad we got to face off again and even the score. Maybe next time we'll have a real deciding battle!"

"I'll have to work a lot harder," Alain told Ash with a smirk. The roar of the crowd was rising again. "Working in research isn't the most conducive to training for a battle."

"Nor are the peaceful times or teaching, you know," Seamus pointed out. Alain blinked before he seemed to realize that Seamus was joking around with him. He offered a chuckle at that one. "Ah well, even if I lose, I've gotta give a great fight so my students will be proud!"

"Yeah! Just don't blink against Paul, he'll take advantage in a second," Ash insisted to his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. Seamus nodded, steeling his face for the battle that he, himself, was about to face. Ash gave off another chuckle and caught sight of the wedding band on his ring finger, his eyes suddenly going wide with a grimace. "Ah, well, I'd really love to watch your battle, but I gotta make a phone call!"

"Pipika!" Pikachu cheered happily. Seamus quirked an eyebrow but nodded as Ash retracted his hand and decided to go racing down the hallway. He swore he could hear a chuckle emerge from Alain's lips at that, and when he looked back, he saw Seamus stepping towards the stadium, while the earlier black-haired man shoved his hands in his pockets and walked on. He was quite a bit slower than Ash as he blasted out of the hallway and into a more common area with some spectators milling around.

"Look, mommy, it's Ash!" called a little girl. Said girl's mother turned and gave him a smile that he returned with a wave, making the little girl light up. "You battle so amazing!"

"Thanks!" Ash said to her, continually dashing off for the phones. He glanced up to see that Seamus and Paul had begun their battle, the latter's Drapion struggling to give what looked like Alakazam a hard time. Ash looked away to see Mairin waiting at the edge of a food stand, completely oblivious to him. She certainly looked to have grown up, even if Chespie hadn't, still sitting atop her head comfortably. Ash decided to ignore that, flicking his eyes towards the screen when he saw Zoroark there, heaving slightly, looking poisoned. Ash shook his head but slowed his pace as he finally approached the phones.

"Making a call, Ash?" called a voice from the phones next to him, and Ash jerked a little.

"Oh, Sawyer…didn't realize you were there…" Ash laughed out a little. Of course, he had known that Sawyer was taking part, having actually won against Astrid, of all people, earlier that day. Not that she had had any hard feelings; Sceptile looked ready to collapse after his battle with Absol alone. It probably hadn't helped that both had Mega Evolved from the beginning.

"Just calling…uh, well, you know…" Sawyer laughed out. Ash laughed with him, though he wasn't quite sure he could fill in the blanks. He had a  _guess_  about just who Sawyer was calling, but he certainly didn't want to assume anything. Not really wanting to have a conversation about his rival's love life (and indeed, the green-haired boy was still his rival in the sense that he had spent years being trained by Steven Stone, himself), Ash turned to the phone and called the number he was probably supposed to have called yesterday by this point.

It didn't take long for the call to be accepted and the image of his beautiful wife to appear on the screen…and Bonnie, it seemed.

"Ash, we saw your battle! Greninja wins! Yay!" Bonnie cheered, Dedenne joining her on her shoulder. She seemed so enthusiastic, that Serena had to work her way back on to the screen, with little success. "It was really awesome finally seeing you able to beat Alain! I'm going to be your next challenger. Maybe Dedenne will finally be able to-"

"Bonnie, I'm sure Ash can tell us more if you give him a chance to breathe," Serena's voice cut across. The lemon blonde pouted a bit, but drew back, allowing Ash a much better look at his wife and the girl by her side. He grinned.

Now that he was truly seeing them, it allowed him to appreciate how mature both of them looked (despite seeing Serena at least once a week, even when busy), though in entirely different ways. Bonnie had certainly grown taller, matching them all in height, with long hair tied into an elegant braid as she wore travel clothes that resembled her past attire, though more fit for someone her age. Serena, meanwhile, was garbed in her beautiful performance outfit, a hand resting on her stomach a moment before she leaned forward.

"Yeah, I beat Alain! Though it looks like Paul's gonna win this next round…not that I'm surprised. He pretty much said he wanted to face me in the finals of this thing," Ash admitted with a rather hearty chuckle. Serena put her hand to her mouth and laughed as some static moved across the screen. "How's your Spectacular thing?"

"It'll be fine. I'm back on in a little bit," Serena admitted, sitting back. "Can't refuse a favor from Aria, after all. But it's good work, just as intended. Lots of girls interested in meeting me. How's everyone else doing?"

"Clemont hasn't battled yet, right?" Bonnie asked, throwing her hands behind her head. Ash shook his head; she reminded him more of himself than her brother. "And not everyone's there, too?"

"Uh, yeah, some people couldn't make it…and neither him nor Korrina have battled yet. Actually, I think they're battling each other…" Ash answered her. Bonnie looked a little displeased with that, but sighed with a shrug, as if it truly couldn't be helped. Given the slight lull in conversation, Ash brought his mind to thinking of all the competitors at the Champion Tournament. It truly was the best of the best, with every member of the Elite Four and Champions here, and then strong trainers such as himself and Paul, and even those "truly exceptional" Gym Leaders, as they were called. Though, there were still some missing.

Gladion, for one thing, had stated he was too busy with Foundation work, despite their financial backing of the tournament, which included keeping Guzma and his band of brothers and sisters in line across Alola and other regions. Even then, though, Ash had hoped to see Kahili or some of the Kahunas, including Hau, but none of them had had the opportunity to make it there. He knew the reason for Kahili and Kukui, of course, but it didn't stop him hoping. Nor had Dawn or May ventured to the tournament, the former visiting with Maylene in Sinnoh last he'd heard, while the latter was off…somewhere (he could admit to not being as aware to her own location). Brock, on the other hand, was easy, given his medical duties in Hoenn. Ash tapped his foot a little, realizing almost all of his best friends except for Clemont either hadn't been invited or had prior engagements. This very thought must have taken up much of his mind, because Serena was calling him out of it.

"Sorry, what?" Ash asked with a sheepish expression. Serena shook her head, but continued to smile.

"I said we should hold a little private celebration of some sort when you get back," his wife told him. Ash's eyebrows flew up as Bonnie snickered in the background. Serena's face turned red as her cheeks puffed out. "I didn't mean it  _that_  way…"

"Well, I mean, not like I-"

"Ash!" Serena scolded him, and he just laughed it off again. When she'd settled down, she looked pointedly at him while Bonnie turned away, chasing after Dedenne and what looked to be Squishy. Ash was also pretty sure he heard her Pokédex making snarky comments. "Speaking of  _that_ , though, please remember that there was something I wanted to talk to you about. But, like I said, I'll save it for when you get back."

"Hm?" Ash asked, genuinely confused as to why she was bringing this up again, but Serena's smile wasn't telling. Pikachu tilted his head in interest. Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of her, he just shrugged. "Well, you just take care of yourself in those performances, yeah? No wearing yourself out, okay?"

"I should be telling  _you_  that," Serena insisted. However, she shared no more words after, simply looking to see that Bonnie was otherwise occupied and then blowing a kiss to him before their connection cut off. Ash breathed in with contentment and looked to Pikachu, scratching him behind the ears.

"That Serena?" called Astrid's voice from nearby, and Ash turned to look at her, holding an ice cream cone. She hadn't changed much in all these years, by Ash's estimation, which was fine to him. He nodded. "She must be real busy in Lumiose, huh?"

"Seems that way. Performer's life is always busy. How have you been?" Ash asked, turning away and joining the blonde woman. Sawyer seemed to have left already, gone to watch more matches, while Ash's stomach was rumbling. On the screens, Seamus and Paul's match had ended with a definitive victory for the latter, though Drapion looked pretty exhausted in the replay. Meanwhile, Clemont looked to be taking the field alongside his fiancée. Ash could tell it would be a tight battle…assuming Korrina didn't use Mega Evolution from the very beginning.

"Been good, other than losing to Sawyer…guy is way too strong for us to keep up," Astrid chuckled out. Ash couldn't offer a reply, keeping one eye on the screen as he approached a food stall for a hearty lunch. Pikachu was already selecting from a row of ketchups. "But, hey, that's how it goes. We're all still on a level to compete with the Elite Four, so we should count ourselves lucky. Amazing how little things change in almost a decade."

"I don't know about that," Ash told her, grabbing his food as the two turned towards the screen to watch the battle between the engaged couple begin. Ash wasn't surprised to see Luxray out against Lucario, though the former had picked up a variety in moves, replacing his old Thunder Fang standby with Ice Fang and biting into Lucario, who retaliated with a Power-Up Punch.

"Huh…hope there's no hard feelings between those two…" Astrid commented, biting into her cone.

"No way. They're both happy with the result," Ash insisted. A figure moving in his periphery showed Seamus coming out of the hallway with a resigned expression as he, too, made his way for the phones. "Though, speaking of…how about you? Anyone to, as Brock says, 'settle down with'?"

"Ash, since when did you become an expert on the romantic?" Astrid joked, nudging him in the side. Ash nearly dropped his food, but steadied it and decided to finish it before Astrid knocked it away entirely. She also, however, sighed as Lucario Mega Evolved, following an Electric Terrain enhanced Wild Charge. "No, there isn't…I think. It's complicated."

"What's complicated?" Ash asked in genuine puzzlement. Astrid wouldn't answer, looking over to Seamus, now approaching from the phones.

"Maybe she's talking about how I can't get through to the kids in Nova Town," Seamus pointed out with a shrug. Ash furrowed his brow; his call had worked just fine. "Oh well, Chris and Rocky are probably putting them through their paces, and that works for me. Though Merry really wanted to share the result. Even losing, she worked really hard for that battle! Right, Merry?"

Astrid stiffened a bit, but managed to finish her ice cream cone entirely as Seamus' pokeball rocked subtly with pride. Ash looked to his female friend and then spied a table at which to sit upon, all while Lucario and Luxray made a major clash in the stadium that sent sparks raining everywhere on the screen. Knowing the result of the match was probably decided, Ash turned towards the table and led his friends over to it, only pausing for a moment so that Seamus could grab some food, himself. Once they were seated, waiting for Clemont and Korrina to come back (the screen showing the Shalour Gym Leader as the victor), Astrid finally began speaking again.

"So, you guys hear about some of the stuff that supposedly went down in Johto earlier today?" she asked, crossing her legs as she leaned forward. Pikachu hopped on the table, feasting on his ketchup bottle while Ash looked at the blonde. Seamus was paying little attention, fixated on the match of Diantha against Alder taking place.

"No, what happened?" Ash asked in interest. Astrid leaned further forward, her eyes sparkling with a slight bit of mischief.

"Not a lot to tell," Astrid finally admitted with a wink. Ash frowned at her, all while Seamus slammed a hand on the table while calling Alder an idiot. "Just some rumors passed around that there was this  _big_  explosion in a town at an abandoned building. But there's no report on it or anything, just media speculation. It was just this morning, anyway…or something like that."

"Still kinda weird news, right?" Ash asked, getting a vocal acknowledgement from Astrid. On one of the screens, Diantha's Gardevoir had locked down Bouffalant's horns, grappling tightly with it. The sound of footsteps indicated that Korrina and Clemont had arrived by this point, the couple discussing something about their battle. "I mean, with all sorts of peaceful times, and the Foundation and ARC and all those people…when was the last time any of us fought a big battle?"

"Years," was Korrina's reply, clearly breaking away from her conversation to flop into a chair. Clemont, meanwhile, took the seat next to Ash, and the raven-haired trainer flung his arm around the young man. "But what are we talking about?"

"Explosion in Johto," was Astrid's reply. Seamus groaned out loudly, and Ash looked up to see that Diantha had defeated Alder. For some weird reason, Ash wasn't all that surprised, and it made his blood pump more than usual. Clemont, disengaging himself from Ash, placed a hand on his chin.

"Natural gas explosion or something?" the inventor asked. Ash snuck a look at him; he definitely seemed fine with the result of the earlier battle, and Ash could see the gears turning in his head. That was just like him, especially given all of his famous inventions, a lot of which had been backed by the Foundation.

"No idea. Only weird part, and not a single media outlet could agree on whether it was real or not, was that just a little bit ago, there was a rainbow overhead, but no rain. Weird, huh?" Astrid said, offering her own chuckle to the mix. Seamus was still relatively silent, now eating quickly, since the match was over. Ash twisted around to see whether Diantha would be emerging from the halls, or if her status as Champion would prevent it. However, his mind also picked up on what Astrid had said and he looked to Pikachu.

"Rainbow…I wonder…" he muttered out, though not enough for anyone to hear him. "Oh, well, hope everyone was okay or whatever."

"We'll know that whenever all the news places get their acts together, don't you think? Well, that or Miss Malva decides to report on it," Astrid commented, tapping her forehead. Ash shrugged, not really having an answer for that. He had no idea how those sorts of places thought, other than knowing he wanted to avoid them as much as possible due to his own sometimes unfortunate fame. Though he did trust Malva, the powerful trainer always in the best interest of providing accurate information, to the point that she willingly chose against participating in the tournament  _before_  the announcement.

"Probably just a coincidence, I hope," Clemont noted. Ash could hear the inventor's stomach begin to growl, and it made himself consider getting more food. In fact, as he looked to his friend, both seemed to determine that was actually a good idea as they stood. "Korrina, do you want anything?"

"Ice cream!" Korrina cheered out far too happily. Clemont shook his head, but decided to oblige his fiancée's request. The two turned and left from the table, aiming for the ice cream stand. Pikachu, to Ash's surprise, abandoned his ketchup to join him as they walked towards it.

"You spoke with Bonnie, right?" Clemont asked, prompting Ash to nod his head. "She'll probably scold me after that battle, but I think I did pretty well against someone with Mega Evolution."

"You were awesome!" Ash insisted, already getting excited again, despite the somewhat somber news from earlier. If he was honest, the news Astrid had shared with them sounded a little disturbing, but he felt that was mostly thanks to the rumor of the rainbow overhead. It stirred something in his mind which he hadn't thought about for a long time. Regardless, he pushed it away at the sight of someone rather familiar. "Diantha! Good match!"

"Thank you," the elegant Champion spoke, approaching them. Ash said nothing more, watching her draw near; she, like so many others, hadn't changed all that much, unless one counted the lines on her face, from years of her position. "Alder was still a challenge. You all have had wonderful battles, too. Ah, a raspberry cone, please."

"Comin' right up, Champion!" the man at the stall said. Diantha, who had called her order as she approached, finally came to a stop near Ash and Clemont with a tired smile. The inventor seemed to be the first to pick up on this.

"Everything all right, Diantha?" he asked, adjusting his glasses a bit. Diantha offered another smile in his direction before expelling a breath.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, running a hand through her hair. Now that Ash was closer to her, he could see that she looked tired, though he supposed it had to do with how much planning had gone into the tournament over the last few weeks, given the heavy media coverage surrounding it. "Just some rumors going around the League."

"Like what?" Clemont asked as the man at the stand finally finished gathering their ice creams and handing them over. The inventor made sure to balance both of his, while Diantha daintily took hers.

"Oh, just that we've been out of communication with ARC today. Communication issues are plaguing parts of the League, it seems," Diantha insisted with a shaking of her head. Ash held his ice cream over, allowing Pikachu a lick at it, one that soon turned to outright eating, while he surveyed her in contemplation.

"I made a phone call just fine," Ash told her, though that didn't seem to be what was most disturbing to her. She did shoot him a look of thanks, in any case, for the reassurance. "Guess that's not what it's about…?"

"I don't actually know what it's about," Diantha said, licking softly at her ice cream as the small trio made their way over to the table of trainers. As they did, Ash caught sight of Paul, the ever-surly trainer offering him a nod. Ash nodded back, but decided to not call out; they always were the kind of people that let their actions do the talking in the end. Diantha, however, was talking again, putting Ash's attentions right back on to her once more. "We Champions may be heavily involved with the way things are run and facilitated, but while I brought ARC into the League, they no longer fall under my personal jurisdiction. Cynthia or Lance are typically in charge of that these days, and I just handle all the administrative stuff."

"It's been working well enough for years now, so it must be something right," Clemont observed. He barely got a nod as a response from the Champion. "But then, why would it bother you that you're not in communication with them?"

"Oh, Lance and Looker borrowed them for something or other, last I heard. Lance said he didn't want to share it until he had more confirmation," Diantha finally answered them. Ash wasn't sure what to think or say, knowing these kinds of situations were far over his head. "He just mentioned in passing that he hadn't heard a report from them today while they finished establishing a new base or something, and it just adds onto the stress. Life of a Champion and all that…"

"Ever thought of retiring?" Ash asked, though he knew full well what the answer was. It was the same kind of answer he would give: being a Pokémon Trainer was never a job you just stopped doing. In fact, she offered a laugh as response to that.

"Not quite yet. There's still some energy left for me yet, and I think Kathi Lee would kill me if I outright quit, even if it was to focus on acting," she said, and they finally reached their table. Seamus appeared to have left the seat, clearly attempting another call at the phones, but coming away looking just as annoyed as last time. Regardless of that, they all took a seat yet again, no one batting an eye at the fact that the Champion of Kalos was sitting with them. It certainly spoke to how far all of them had come. "Though, I have been thinking of a successor to the position for some time…though none of my Elite Four are very…ambitious, ha ha."

"Wikstrom and Drasna seem the most fitting. Ooh, thanks!" Korrina said with enthusiasm as she grabbed her ice cream. Diantha shrugged at the mention before elaborating on that action.

"They're strong trainers, and each would be a suitable replacement, but for Drasna looking to retire, herself and I just can't see Wikstrom leading the newer generation, no offense to him. I have considered Malva, but she never seems willing to commit to that kind of position, same with Siebold," Diantha said, her tone measured. Ash propped himself up on his elbow. He could tell that she had been thinking about and considering all this for quite some time now, considering how well-voiced it was. "These would never be decisions to be made lightly, and there are so many options with phenomenal trainers such as yourselves…and no doubt you'll be fostering the newest generation yourself, soon."

"Um…uh…" Clemont suddenly hacked out, while Korrina blushed a deep crimson. Ash couldn't figure why they were so embarrassed, given they were already engaged to be married and simply hadn't set a date yet. Surely the thought of a new generation wasn't so far beyond them. It wasn't beyond Ash, either, given his talks with Serena, but neither of them had discussed anything definitive.

"We're working on it," Korrina admitted with a nervous giggle before she promptly shoved her entire cone of ice cream into her mouth, allowing herself to remain silent. Seamus had finally finished approaching the table now.

"They just don't want to pick up…well, I'll show 'em!" the blond insisted, throwing a fist into the air and drawing Astrid's attention to him. She looked downright amused. "If they don't want to talk, stupid Christopher, then I'll just let 'em stew overnight."

"I take it you can't reach your school?" Diantha asked, quirking an eyebrow. Seamus was taken aback, but transferred his fist to have it run his fingers through his hair.

"Ah, yeah…probably busy teaching or something, and Chris has his kid and all, so…" The blond seemed embarrassed, given his laugh, though Diantha merely nodded and moved on. When she'd turned away from him, Seamus gave Ash a wide-eyed expression, and the trainer laughed, Pikachu joining in with him.

"So, Champion, I have to ask, any stock in the rumors from the media this morning about the explosion in Johto? Seems like it's all they're focused on," Astrid questioned, leaning in. Ash couldn't help but roll his eyes at the woman's inability to let the topic go, though he figured that she was likely bored, now that she was knocked out of the competition.

"Mm, couldn't say. Not my purview," was Diantha's curt response. She was almost done with her ice cream now, but Ash couldn't sense any dishonesty or evasiveness in her voice. "Media relations are typically handled by Steven and all that investigative stuff is-"

"Lance?" Ash asked. Diantha nodded. He sat back in his chair, hearing the cheering crowds at the result of whatever new battle was playing out in the stadium. It was looking late out, the sun beginning to sink on the horizon on the first day of heavy battling. Ten years ago or so, he never would have thought he'd be sitting here, chatting with a Champion, herself, potentially set to battle against her in the coming days…nor did he think he'd understand the structure of the current League system as well as he did.

Not that Ash liked involving himself in politics. He was into that about as much as Pikachu enjoyed having his electric sacs tugged upon. He just knew enough how things worked…mostly because Lionel was always accompanied by Aidan, who  _always_  talked business. It made Ash's encounters with ARC a bit bittersweet, though he did wonder how they were doing, if they weren't making contact with the League.

_Now's not the time to be thinking about that!_  Ash insisted, shaking his head a bit. They were here for a tournament, after all, not a social call. This became all the more evident by a slight ringing from Diantha's bag. The Champion, having fully finished her ice cream at the sound of it, dug into said bag and pulled out the small phone. She excused herself silently and stepped away, just out of earshot. Ash, feeling lazy as Pikachu decided to finish off their own cone, looked over to the Champion.

"You're sure…?" came the hushed whispers of Diantha's voice, and Ash had to wonder just what was going on. "No confirmation, though…and they haven't…? I see…Just…keep a watchful eye and…you know what, I'll stop by the office. Mmhmm."

Ash looked back to Clemont and Astrid, the both of them seemingly just as interested in the conversation at hand. Diantha, for her part, made her way back over. Astrid straightened and addressed her. "Everything okay?"

"Mm, not sure," was Diantha's answer. Ash frowned, reaching over to pat Pikachu, whose own tense body indicated his shared feelings with his trainer. Her eyes weren't smiling. "Just some news I wish I hadn't heard, but nothing definitive as of yet. Unfortunately, it means I'll have to go into work to see."

"Oh, all right, then," Ash said. Diantha offered them one more smile, and then a wave, before she was off yet again. More cheers from the stadium indicated that the latest battle was won, and Ash had to wonder how close it all was to wrapping up. He was about to lament the number of missed battles when he heard Pikachu yawn loudly. "Guess that means it's time for us to head back to our room."

"Sounds good to me," Clemont agreed, himself coming to a standing position, as well, at the suggestion. Korrina still looked a little flushed, but stood nonetheless and brushed her skirt off, skating around the table to take hold of her fiancé's arm. Before he or anyone else knew it, Korrina was dragging Clemont off, looking a bit like a kidnapper. While she did so, Astrid gave a loud yawn while Seamus stretched.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, too. You better put up as good a battle as you did today!" Astrid insisted, pointing directly at Ash, who chuckled a little. Following that, she stood, spun right around, and walked off. Seamus finished stretching and offered a light shrug before doing the same. Ash had nothing left to say and departed in an opposite direction, deciding to go for a stroll around the facilities before turning in for the night. He debated calling Serena again, but figured she would probably be asleep or just exhausted from her own activities that day.

"Oh, well," Ash muttered under his breath. Pikachu reclaimed his place on Ash's shoulder as he threw his hands behind his head and strode to the orange-tinged exterior of the area they were staying at. It was a location all too familiar to Ash, causing him to pause at the edge and smile. He had been so pumped up on the adrenaline of battle that he hadn't fully acknowledged it. "Wonder what dad thinks of all this, huh, Pikachu?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said with a shrug, but there wasn't anything else to say. They both just shared the memory of that day so long ago. Ironically enough, it was also the day Ash had encountered the boy now approaching him. The two of them stopped, neither saying a word, until Ash found what he wanted to say.

"How've you been, Paul?" Ash asked him. Paul didn't answer, leaning against the entrance of the stadium lobby. Only when he was looking directly at Ash did he answer.

"I've been fine," was the response. Ash would have frowned, except for remembering that Paul wasn't one for small talk…ever, really. "Reggie is, too."

"Uh-huh…you had a good battle with Seamus today," Ash said, trying to goad the purple-haired man into conversation. Naturally, he didn't take the bait.

"It was good enough," was the curt reply. That seemed like a resounding "battle was amazing" in Ash's book. He did keep watching Paul, though, waiting for whatever reason he had come to speak with him, now that he was alone (he never expected his rival to come speak in any truly social setting). "You know we'll face off in the finals, right?"

"I thought we sorta already promised that," Ash admitted. Paul jerked his head and started to walk off, but paused. Ash quirked an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"Cynthia approached me," he finally spoke, quieter than normal under the sound of the crashing waterfalls. "She's…talking about stepping down. Wants to put her passions into ruin investigations."

"She approached you for it? That's great!" Ash insisted. Paul scoffed almost instantly, and a bit predictably. That made the raven-haired trainer sigh a bit, looking to the continually setting sun and the rainbow created from the misting overhead. A small twinge on the back of his neck made Ash feel like they weren't the only two there, standing outside, despite no one being visible. Not that it mattered once Paul was talking again.

"Yeah, sure…I just wanted to let you know," his rival told him tersely, before waving his hand sharply. "I guess building the future is sooner than we think."

Ash couldn't say anything about that. Mostly, it was because he could only guess as to why Paul had told him, and other than the sadness in his rival's voice, as though it spelled the end of their eternal tug-of-war between each other, he didn't have any solid guess. As Paul walked away, though, it certainly cemented that truth inside him: the world was moving on. Time had ticked forward, and while it had merely brought them all with it, Ash knew he was already witnessing a changing of the guard. Champions considering stepping down, a whole new generation of kids taking part in Leagues and going on journeys, and they were at the center of that storm of change.

Putting his hands in his pockets and walking around the building, Ash realized how different things could look sooner than later. In every way possible, things were changing. Bonnie was a huge proof of that. His footsteps stopped, looking up at the stained glass that had once been shattered nearly a decade ago. For some reason, the man who had precipitated that took the forefront of his mind; now that the guard was changing, would Dalton be proud of the world they and their generation would create? It almost made him wonder if their generation was even ready for that responsibility. If  _he_  was ready, and what he could do to help usher it in…

Taking his eyes away from the stained glass as he resumed his walking, Ash once more caught sight of the rainbow over the falls. That, too, brought him back to what Astrid seemed to be obsessing about: the explosion in Johto, and the odd rainbow overhead. It reminded him of the very first day he had become a trainer, and Ho-oh.

"Wonder where Ho-oh's been all these years…?" Ash mused aloud to his best friend. Pikachu's ears twitched a little, sounding just a bit interested in the topic as they continued their walk. "I mean, when was the last time  _we_  saw it? And I'm pretty sure we've seen it more than most…"

"Chu…" Pikachu agreed sagely. It was certainly a mystery; just another one to add to all the things swirling around and colliding upon one another in the changing age. It made the setting sun seem almost…metaphorical…and that was when Ash wondered when he started thinking  _that_  way, of all things.

"Ah, who cares? Pikachu, you're up tomorrow and we're gonna win!" Ash proclaimed, throwing his fist to the sky. His other pokeballs radiated with enthusiastic energy and excitement for the battle ahead. Spinning around on his feet as Pikachu cheered alongside him, Ash began running off towards his room and the peacefulness of a good night's sleep, even as the feeling of his hairs standing on end never fully went away.

* * *

The next morning, Ash awoke rested and with just as much anticipation as the day prior, wondering who he'd be facing off against that day. There was a bit of unrest in his veins as he stretched, looking out over the waterfalls that morning and feeling that same sensation as the evening prior, like he was being watched. However, he figured that, in the end, it really just came down to a combination of hunger, missing Serena, and ultimate anticipation. Knowing that, the raven-haired trainer finished his stretches and decided to get breakfast, with a quick stop to make sure his Pokémon were in fighting shape before he did so.

He wasn't the only one below, getting food. Alain and Mairin appeared to have been up as early as Korrina and Clemont, the two couples (or so it looked to Ash…he was never sure on Alain and Mairin's status) seeming to have an easy conversation. It wasn't quite the same for Seamus, who looked just as annoyed now as he had last evening.

"Still can't get through?" Ash asked of the blond, violently stabbing a plate of crepes. He looked up with a scowl and a growl that all but confirmed Ash's own guesses regarding the matter.

"They just don't want to pick up! I think I'm going to ask Clemont to use the IRCS at this point!" he screamed out, knocking over a jar of syrup and sending it spilling across the table. Pikachu took the opportunity to lick it up before a nearby waitress intervened. "I thought I'd let them stew, but I didn't think it would make them mad at me, and I don't really want to head back yet."

"Then I guess the IRCS is your best bet, huh?" Ash asked, seeing a plate of pancakes delivered to him, already topped with some accompanying foods. He thanked the waitress and began to dig in while Seamus seemed to be involved over a debate of what to do, continually looking over at Clemont. Ash decided to ignore the surly and annoyed expressions, just watching the hall as he shoved food in for the upcoming day's matches, despite none of the matchups having yet been announced.

The most particular of note was Diantha, who was accompanied by Cynthia and Lance, the three talking in hurried and rushed tones. He wasn't able to hear much of it, at least not enough to make any definitive conclusions, and Pikachu was too busy scarfing food to notice, even with his ears twitching at attention. They looked concerned, probably owing to whatever had upset the Kalos Champion the day prior, though their presence here indicated it probably wasn't  _that_  bad of a situation. Ash did muse on whether or not Astrid's observations had merit, though.

"You ready for today's battle, buddy?" Ash asked with a grin, leaning in towards Pikachu, who finished up his food hastily.

"Pika pika chuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried cheerily, slapping his cheeks rapidly. Ash laughed, giving his partner a high five, and when he looked up, the Champions had disappeared. It made him think about his brief conversation with Paul the day before, but he soon shrugged it off at the decision to make his way to the stadium. Seamus, too, had stood, rapidly striding over to Clemont, his voice carrying across the entire area.

"Hey, Clemont, you have administrative access to the IRCS, right? Mind doing me a favor?" he was yelling out. Clemont looked taken aback, but at a peck on his cheek from Korrina, he decided to answer with confidence.

"Sure, let me just get my portable enhancement version from my room. You're calling Nova Town?" the inventor asked, having obviously picked up on the source of Seamus' trepidation. Glad to see it was an easy decision, Ash cleaned up and made a straight beeline for the stadium, Clemont's voice fading as he did so with a, "Not surprised, as no one there has the same abilities or permissions to…"

As the roars of the crowd hit upon his ears, drowning the duo's voices, Ash did think about calling Serena and seeing how she was doing that morning, but figured she would be far too busy with her Showcase endeavors. He definitely didn't want to take away from that. Irked Serena was a Serena he may have gotten used to in their married life, but not one he wanted to deal with right before an intense battle. Knowing that she'd be fine with it all, he proceeded to the stadium and took a seat with the rest of the remaining competitors as they filled in, keeping his eye on each of them. Before long, Kalas' voice was once more filling the air, overriding the crowd.

"Welcome back, folks, to another exciting day of a huge tournament, the Champion Tournament! We've whittled down our competitors yesterday to another batch of strong contestants, who will now be engaging one another in an epic set of battles!" Kalas called, as usual whipping the entire crowd into a major frenzy with his words. Even Ash found himself getting excited. "Without further ado, let's show the randomized matchups for today!"

With Kalas' words, Ash turned to the biggest screen in the stadium, looking at all of the cards with the competitors' faces. They turned over, mixing around like always until they righted themselves and flipped around, lines drawn between them. Ash and Pikachu's expressions quickly changed to one of surprise, and they weren't the only ones.

"Well, well," was Kalas' own surprised voice, "it seems today's first battle is another rematch; one that was memorable in its own right a few years back. Let's welcome our first battlers for the day to the dirt field: Ash Ketchum and Champion Diantha!"

"Perfect!" Ash said, clenching a fist as he stood. Across the way, where all of the Champions were huddled together in conversation, Diantha stood as well. She looked perturbed, but Ash could see her eyes light with fire as she looked across to him and smiled. Knowing they were both ready, Ash turned away from his seat and made a quick run for the halls to the battlefield. Passing through them once more, Ash got a shiver this time, his memory of that day prickling at the hair on the back of his neck. Pikachu seemed to feel it as well, though Ash wondered if, just maybe, it wasn't the memory at all, but rather the disturbed sound of other footsteps in the corridor.

Nevertheless, he shook his head, deciding that it was mere anticipation, and he quickly ran towards the battlefield with numerous cheers and excited screams. To his expectation, Diantha was already down below, standing across from him, though not saying a word. It was really just like her, as he'd learned from all his battles with her over the years. In front of her, no less, her partner Pokémon had already been chosen.

"Knew she'd go with Gardevoir. Either way, Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash said. The crowd seemed to roar in approval of his choice, making Ash reach up to turn his hat back. That made them cheer even more; over the years, and to Ash's surprise, it turned out that he, Pikachu and their mannerisms were just as popular as their status at winning battles. The referee quickly called out the usual basic tenets of the battle, though Ash just watched Diantha, knowing that surveying her was just as important as watching Gardevoir to winning the battle.

She looked more reticent than usual before a battle, her eyes not revealing anything, switching back and forth between fired up and clouded. It concerned Ash a little, the shiver passing down his neck again, this time with a more distinct feeling. He looked up, seeing Cynthia and Lance still huddled, holding a tablet as they pointed to something. Ash shook his head.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash called, clenching his fist and throwing it up. Pikachu shuddered a bit and raced forward swiftly, like a bolt of white lightning. He barreled right for Gardevoir, while Ash watched Diantha. She imperceptibly nodded her head, and just as Pikachu reached Gardevoir's location, the Embrace Pokémon vanished. "Iron Tail!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu cried, his tail instantly brightening and swiping around. The attack slammed into Gardevoir the second she materialized, being driven into the center of the dirt field. Diantha showed no surprise, though she was wearing a faint smile that showed her appreciation of the hit.

"Shadow Ball," was the next command. Gardevoir instantly righted herself, forming a Shadow Ball and sending it flying out at Pikachu. Ash nodded his own head now and Pikachu jumped to the side, the attack barely missing him. Diantha raised her head and Gardevoir continued firing Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball, as if trying to keep Pikachu away as much as possible.

"Counter that with Electro Ball!" Ash called, throwing his fist outward now. Pikachu dodged to the side and leapt up into the air, forming a crackling ball of electricity at the tip of his tail. He waited less than a second, his charge time significantly faster than usual, before he flung it right at Gardevoir. Her Shadow Ball also flew out, colliding with the electrical projectile and then exploding with steam around the battlefield. Ash narrowed his eyes, keeping them peeled for when Diantha herself would next appear across the way, though he gave another command. "Counter Shield!"

"Moonblast," Diantha said stoically. Ash brought his fist down and clenched it. He should have known she was setting up for that. The smoke whipped away as Pikachu was spinning on his back, sending torrents of electricity out. Gardevoir was a small distance away, having charged up her Moonblast before firing it at Pikachu. It collided with the shield, straining against it before breaking through and slamming into Pikachu, albeit in a weakened form. He went flying through the air, righting himself.

"Iron Tail! Spin into it!" Ash commanded. Pikachu began to spin forward as Gardevoir remained still. Ash paid close attention to Diantha, waiting for the move he knew was coming. Sure enough, as Pikachu was about to make contact with Gardevoir, Diantha nodded. The Embrace Pokémon vanished once again, but Pikachu knew exactly what to do. He spun out of his roll and whipped around, sending a quick cascade of Electro Balls at Gardevoir where they impacted with popping noises and small little sparks, driving her back.

"Whoo! Just like in his first official match, Ash is taking the Champion to task! He may be small, but Pikachu is one force to be reckoned with!" Kalas called out. Pikachu landed, grinning back at Ash, who grinned right back. They were really moving in sync today. Diantha was even already reaching for her necklace, looking as though she wanted to try and end the battle more quickly than usual. There was a certain savagery there; one that Ash could tell was not normal, though he couldn't tell why whatsoever.

"Pikachu, be on guard, something's off," Ash said quietly, enough for his partner to hear. That prickling was returning. Diantha's stance was changing. There really was something  _very_  off. As she seemed about to Mega Evolve Gardevoir, and Ash was about to call his next command, he looked up and saw Clemont running towards the Champion section of the stands.

No…it wasn't just him. Seamus was with him, with both of their eyes so wide that they looked like they'd pop out of their heads. Ash stepped forward, and Diantha turned, looking up. There was a pause in which things must have been said, some news shared. Her lips were pursed, and she looked to be shaking. She raised her hand.

"I forfeit the match," she called loudly, and murmuring filled the stadium. Ash's brow furrowed. There was no indignation, but just a sense of worry amidst the muttering.

Something was very, very wrong, and he wanted to know just what it was.

Knowing that, Ash ran forward, Pikachu joining him the second he was nearby. Diantha didn't waste a beat in calling Gardevoir back quickly, walking to the edge of the stadium towards the Champions. Ash picked up his pace and called to her. "Diantha! Diantha, what was that about? Hey!"

"I'm sorry, Ash," the Kalos Champion spoke, pausing as she stopped at the edge. Ash finally caught up to her as the confusion in the stadium reached its peak. He looked at her, and could see her quivering lip. He shook his head. "I really wanted to battle you, but…"

"Forget about that. We can battle later. Just tell me what's going on!" Ash demanded of her, only it wasn't Diantha that answered. It was Clemont, and he looked more pale than usual.

"Ash, we just tried contacting Nova Town…" Clemont told him. "It…"

"They were attacked yesterday, but we're such a small town that the news…it didn't reach…it…The school is gone," Seamus choked out, looking like he was close to vomiting at the thought of all of it. Ash stopped for a moment, disbelieving of the words being spoken. He snapped his gaze to Diantha, as people in the stadium began to stand. Kalas was speaking, trying to regain order, though Ash couldn't hear the words spoken. That only explained half of it. The second half was finally explained by Diantha a moment later, even telling Ash just why she had called off the match.

"We finally received word this morning…and it proves Clemont's news isn't a coincidence," Diantha stated sharply. "That explosion in Johto was an attack on ARC…and as far as we can tell, there were no survivors."

Ash felt his heart drop. The tournament was already over for him as soon as it had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, the plot's pretty much gotten off to a start here. Yes, the tournament: in this case it was staging rather than a major part of the plot. I hope that will become obvious in time. Nonetheless, there're a lot of little things to chew on within this chapter either thematically or plot-wise. I'd like to think I presented it effectively enough, but this is still just the warm-up! That's right, it'll get even more intense as we go. I hope you enjoyed the skirmishes, though.
> 
> I hope you'll continue to support me throughout this final chapter of the Ancienverse. To do that, please leave me a Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	3. A Burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Battling with reader expectation is the hardest part of telling a story. I have the idea for my own plot, but my readers all expect something else will happen or should happen. It's an endless battle. But who cares, please enjoy Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

A Burning

There were mutters all around. Confused stares peppered the entire stadium, zeroed in on the point where Ash had gathered with Diantha and the other Champions. Diantha's forfeit had certainly seemed to set everyone on edge, and despite all of Kalas' attempts to calm the crowd down, no one was really listening. They were too busy being confused, unless one counted those in the more knowledgeable crowd, such as Astrid and Alain, already standing from their seats and swiftly making their way downward.

Ash, however, was still reeling from the shock of the statement.

"Maybe…maybe you're just confused…" he voiced quietly, before he could even stop himself. He knew it was likely a delusion to be saying that, but there had to be some hope that ARC and Nova Town were okay. His mind flashed back, so many years, to the report he'd seen on the bombing of the League. This felt different, though, because here, people's lives were more at stake…completely innocent people.

"There's no confusion," Lance muttered out. Ash's fists clenched, not liking to hear those words. All of the confusion in the stadium was reaching a new, feverish pitch at this point, making their small meeting suddenly become acutely prominent to everyone that was there. Cynthia noticed this the most.

"I think we should move this conversation elsewhere. Alder, can you inform Kalas to get a move on with the battles? Find some way to smooth things over," the Sinnoh Champion said with a light pat to his back. The fiery-haired man was frowning, looking like he wasn't happy about any of this, but he nodded and stood, bustling his way through the crowd. Ash watched him go, but soon moved his vision along to the others from the crowd, on the move.

"Uh, well, it seems Champion Diantha has forfeited the match, leaving Ash Ketchum as the winner," Kalas called out with a chuckle. The crowd there wasn't as happy or accepting of this simple answer, regardless of the fact that it was the truth. Ash could hear it in all of their mutterings and curse words. They wanted to know  _why_. There was a sudden screeching sound from the microphone, as though Alder had reached his destination.

Ash began to turn away, to follow after all those that were clustered in worried discussion, now leaving the stadium as swiftly as they could. Diantha was already down the hallway from the field as her fellow Champions were moving out of the stands. Ash turned back before entering, himself, catching sight of Paul standing there, his forehead scrunched in discernment. His rival must have seen something in his eyes, Ash figured, else he wouldn't have turned away with his usual laconic attitude and start walking from the stands.

"Hey, everyone! No reason for concern!" Alder's voice boomed out with his usual jubilance. The crowd seemed to settle down at his voice, though Ash could hear the small edge in the man's voice that the usually oblivious Unova Champion typically didn't have. "It's just a little thing. Diantha's Gardevoir was still damaged from her amazing battle with me yesterday. Rather than risk more damage, she called the match off! You know how these high tier battles can be!"

"In-indeed we do, Champion Alder!" Kalas agreed, removing his stuttering to instill confidence back into the crowd. "I'm sure Gardevoir will be healed up sooner than later."

"Ha ha, of course!" Alder agreed, the sound from the commentator's box making it sound like he was slapping Kalas' back, and rather violently at that. "The other Champions want to make sure everything's all right with one of their own, but while they do, let's get a move on with the second round!"

Ash didn't hear who would be called for the second round, slipping into the depths of the halls beyond and cutting off the noise, other than the murmuring now growing back into excited cheers. To that, he could exhale in relief. Once he had, Ash picked up the pace, dashing down the hallway to join up with the rapidly clopping steps of Diantha. He very quickly caught sight of her face, the thin line that was her lips expressing everything about the situation. Ash tried to think of what to say, but he'd never been the best with words in this kind of situation, wanting only to move to action.

Evidently, however, that didn't matter all that much to the woman.

"Another attack…" she breathed, loud enough for Ash to hear as he got close. Diantha looked a cross between furious and outright shaking. "I thought we'd finally won peace after all these years, but first ARC, and now Nova Town."

"I'm sure it's just fine, right, Pikachu?" Ash asked, hoping to assuage his own burning rage and fear that was growing inside of him. Pikachu nodded furiously, though Ash was pretty sure neither believed their own words. Diantha stopped a moment and turned back, looking right at him. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. We didn't come this far just to let this-"

"I know," Diantha spoke snappishly. She shook her head, offering an apology with her eyes, and she turned to continue along. "It's just worrisome."

"Yeah…" Ash agreed, now coming to stand at her side as they broke out of the hallway and started heading for a different area of the League Headquarters. It was an area that Ash had been to only once before: when he'd defeated Diantha some years ago before declining the Champion position. The others must have been there, as well, considering the door was just closing as they reached it. Diantha quickly propped it open. "Have people seen it with their own eyes? I mean, what happened and all."

"I'm unsure," Diantha answered. Ash looked down and realized her fingers were gripping tightly to her clothing, almost ripping at its fabric. "For ARC, we just have the site of the attack, but from what I know, the rubble is concealing a lot…and we haven't made contact with them. Obviously, Nova Town is a different story."

Ash had no words for that, either, merely sharing a look with Pikachu. Seamus had seemed absolutely frightened out of his mind, though perhaps things couldn't have been all that bad if he'd been able to actually get in contact with someone at the town itself. That was the shred of hope that Ash held on to. He couldn't believe that all the others wouldn't be okay. What he was starting to wonder, however, was just who would be willing and wanting to go to this effort, and for what purpose.

"Just when I thought we'd made a difference." Diantha's sigh, sounding so defeated, rang in Ash's ears as they suddenly stopped next to the paned windows, the sunlight shining in upon them. She turned around to face him completely, her eyes heavy and tired. "We've spent how long rebuilding things, making them better. We wanted to safeguard the future, but…"

Ash frowned, but stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her insistently. Pikachu joined him, looking absolutely fierce. She looked to him, and he stared her down. "Diantha, we've built an awesome future. Dalton would be proud of us. Anyone would be, especially after all the effort you've put in. Don't ever doubt that!"

"Ash…" Diantha said to him, her tone almost sounding chastising. He gripped tighter, imparting his conviction into her, and she finally let out a loose chuckle. "You're right. We don't know what's happening, and every action we've taken has been to prevent damage as much as possible. If we continue doing that as much as possible, then we'll be fine."

"That's the spirit!" Ash exclaimed, removing his hands and pumping his fists. Knowing that he'd helped her with all of that, the two finally continued along to the conference room that Diantha had been leading them to in the first place. Sure enough, the remaining Champions, Clemont and Seamus were there. More than that, it appeared that Alain and Astrid were there as well, though no one else. They seemed almost at a loss for words.

"Lance, what do we have absolutely confirmed?" Diantha spoke up as she entered. It was clear that she wasn't going to let her fears that she'd failed deter her from stopping any further damage. Ash felt positive about that from hearing her voice alone. "And I mean, on the ground,  _confirmed_."

"Not much," was Lance's answer as he folded his arms. "We only know about ARC due to Derek, who was on site in Azalea Town to investigate that lost contact. He said the rest of their forces had been located in that city with the explosion, but I've not heard from any of Alpha Squad, Lionel or Aidan, so one can only assume…"

"What happened in Azalea Town?" Clemont questioned rapidly. The Champions in the room all looked to one another, as though unsure whether they should be discussing this, but Lance seemed to relent on the issue in its immediacy.

"Mass disappearance…the G-Men hadn't heard from them regarding the tournament, and with so many others on deck for this, we sent ARC out, but we never imagined…" Ash felt a pit form in his stomach. Lance didn't say what had happened aloud, but not a person in that room had any doubt of what had gone down or occurred. It made that pit feel like a sinking void that threatened to consume him entirely. Azalea was a small town; whatever had happened there, it likely was quick against a defenseless force. No matter what planning anyone could have done, no one could have prevented that, but for Nova Town…

"Wait…you don't mean…?" Seamus choked out, sounding like his voice was cracking from the statement. "What about Nova Town? My friends? My school and students?"

"Relax," Cynthia sighed out. Ash flicked his eyes over to the older woman, noticing that despite her telling Seamus to relax, her body language was completely on edge. "No one has eyes on Nova Town, or on where ARC was, so no one can confirm anything for good or ill, all right?"

"I know that…and I know Nurse Joy is all right, but…" Seamus was clenching his own fist now, angrily clawing at his palm. Ash looked over to Clemont, who was also glancing his way. They held that look for some time, sharing it with the whirring thoughts in their heads. Ash was pretty sure he could tell what was on Clemont's mind, and the thoughts that were stirring there, but neither were voicing them yet.

"We need eyes on the ground," Steven commented, tapping his chin lightly. He was the only one in the room sitting, trying to seem like a soothing balm in a room full of ragged nerves. Ash was trying to focus his own thoughts, wanting to scream out whatever ideas he had, but he held them back, knowing it was best not to send everyone in the room into a panic. In the back of his mind, he was thinking about ARC and Lionel, hoping they were all okay or something, but realizing he couldn't do anything about it; not with the situation in Nova Town. He breathed out slowly to remind himself of that and steel his mind. Cheers arose from the stadium outside, indicating that the crowd was back in the swing of things. "ARC hasn't been confirmed, and Nova Town is mere hearsay without any visual confirmation. I know you trust your friends, but they were just attacked; they may not have the full scope of things."

"Then I'll head home!" Seamus insisted, slamming his hand upon the table. Most barely reacted, except for Astrid, who gave a small pout at the situation. For a brief moment, Ash wondered why Paul wasn't quite here, and whether he was battling, given what he'd said about Cynthia last night, but Lance cut across those thoughts.

"Not alone, you're not," was the Champion's answer. Seamus looked like he'd been asked to swallow a Grimer of some sort, and stepped back. Lance gave a sigh to the room. "Look, we have no idea what is going on here: mass vanishment, attacks on a League-affiliated organization  _and_  your hometown? It's all rather disturbing."

"You mean familiar," Astrid spoke up. Ash looked closer to her, the blonde having folded her arms. He couldn't disagree with that, and it was something the others seemed to notice, as well. There were very disturbing parallels to Dalton and Team Neo's attack so many years ago; it was too completely evocative of it. "I mean, right down to being unable to contact people."

"There  _have_  been communication issues…" Diantha noted with a weary sigh. Despite that, she held a steeliness in her eyes, and a spark that said she wasn't going to let this get any of them down. "Regardless of that, Steven is right about needing eyes on the ground, and I don't think we'll be able to stop Seamus from going to Nova Town…"

"Evidently not," Lance drawled. He was drumming his hands against the table now, looking around at everyone in the room. Ash breathed in, now wearing a look of frustration alongside Pikachu. He couldn't take staying silent anymore.

"Then I'll go with him!" he declared, nodding his head like that was decided. His comment got predictable reactions. Most of the Champions sighed, Alain made no movement and Astrid rolled her eyes while Clemont and Diantha seemed to nod. Seamus also gave no reaction, but he seemed to be more stuck in that moment of fear and worry. It was enough to make Ash step forward and put his hand on his friend. "If Seamus can't go alone, then send me and Clemont. All that League stuff is your thing, and even though I know ARC pretty well, I think it's better for you guys to handle those sorts of things…"

"Ash does have a point," Clemont elaborated. The inventor reached up and placed a hand to his heart, bowing a little. "He's one of the best trainers here, and we know Nova Town pretty well. Not to mention that I can go as the League's representative."

"And the tournament? Ash is still participating," Cynthia pointed out. Ash frowned again; he hadn't really thought of all that. Not that it mattered when a friend was far more important than any competition, and judging from Seamus' current state, he  _really_  needed a friend to help him.

"Trade me out for Diantha," he answered, giving a reassuring grin to those in the room. "I know she forfeited and all, but I think it's okay if we trade out, yeah? Just make some excuse that I wouldn't accept winning the tournament on a forfeit. It's more important that she's here to coordinate efforts and help everyone figure out just what's going on, anyway."

"He has a point," Alain finally spoke up. Eyes shifted to him, except for Lance, who looked like he was thinking. Alain's feet moved, and the man looked outside the windows in the room, seeming contemplative. "ARC is League organization. Nova Town is not. More people would find it odd for a Champion to visit a place like Nova Town, but not for Ash to go somewhere. He  _is_  known for being capricious."

"Hey!"

"Pikapi…" Pikachu said in agreement with Alain, shaking his head. Ash glared at his long-time partner. Out of everyone there, Steven seemed the most ready to argue the point about it, even if Ash knew that he wasn't budging in the slightest. Like before, however, Lance cut across any and all ideas in the room.

"I agree with the decision," the Kanto Champion said. His fingers continued to drum on the table and he looked over to Ash and Clemont. "You two are well acquainted with Nova Town and its people, and having a peacekeeper like Diantha remain on site here would be best to quelling any fears of the public should the news officially reach ears here. But we can't have a mass exodus of people still taking part in the tournament."

"Most people that aren't Champions here are already kicked out," Astrid pointed out. None had a response to that, so she pushed on with her words. "So, yeah, it would definitely be weird if a bunch of Champions and other big figures still in the tournament simply dropped out. But the reckless one over here makes a lot more sense, as does some of us that have already been kicked out. Besides, if everything goes all right, we'd be back before Ash would even  _have_  to battle tomorrow, you know?"

"Astrid has a point," Diantha spoke up, a smile adorning her face. She seemed far less on edge than she was before. That helped Ash to feel a little better about what was going on. "Lance, would you be okay with this course of action? You  _are_  the direct link to these actions in managing them."

"Yes, I'm just fine with it," Lance stated, though it was little more than a mutter. He still seemed lost in thought, but finally jerked himself out of it to look over all of them carefully. "I'll withdraw myself from the match and give it to Diantha if the swap doesn't work. I think it's best I handle whatever happened with ARC, personally. I'll call the International Police in on it. No doubt that Looker will have someone skilled he can send in."

"It's still a risky play," Cynthia commented, folding her arms, "but I'll agree it's the wisest choice. Meanwhile, we keep peace and order here."

"And keep others informed," Steven concluded. Diantha looked to him and Ash noticed that the two seemed to be having some sort of silent conversation. She nodded to him, like they came to an agreement, and he moved on. "Keeping places like the Aether Foundation, or possibly some noted professors, like Gary, apprised of these matters would be good, too, in the event these attacks are  _not_  haphazard or random. That way, we can mobilize in any given region at any given time."

"Uh, you guys can handle all that," Ash finally chuckled out, taking his hand off of Seamus' shoulders and throwing them behind his head. "I'm no good with all that army stuff."

"Unless you count motivation…" Clemont commented, enough for only Ash to hear. He grinned a little sheepishly. Nevertheless, he continued on with confirming his own plan of action for the quick and foreseeable future.

"Well, anyway, we'll just head to Nova Town, see that everyone's okay, figure out what the heck happened and get in contact soon as we can! Right, Pikachu?" Ash asked of his longtime partner. As he did so, Astrid moved herself over so that she was standing with the already predominantly male trio, smirking back at the Champions. Clearly, she'd volunteered herself over Alain.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed heartily, thumping his own chest.

"Well, when you've decided, there's rarely any stopping you," Diantha agreed. She walked a little forward, facing the four of them as they stood at attention. "We'll count on you, then. Report back as soon as you're able. When we have more information, I'll send some forces out to help the town, all right? Malva should be able to rein in the media for the time being to make sure things don't get too crazy, as well. You just focus on getting information and getting back here before things become too noticeable for even her to handle."

"In the meantime, the others just need to focus on keeping eyes on the tournament, huh?" Alain questioned. Steven and Cynthia offered curt nods at the idea. Lance didn't even respond at all, already walking away with a rather cold and indifferent look on his face. Ash had to stop and wonder if, perhaps, the Champion felt that he was to blame for this whole circumstance. However, as soon as that line of thought had arrived, it had flitted away.

"Will you all need transportation?" Diantha was asking of them and Ash looked back.

"Nah, I've got a friend on hand that can get me to Nova quick…though he can only ferry two of us, I guess…" Ash answered her. That seemed to answer the question in any respect, though Ash was about to bring up the possibility of calling Latias when Diantha was already walking away.

"I'll call for a helicopter to pick you all up from the entrance of headquarters. Should be here shortly, so take the time to get ready, okay?" Diantha called back. Ash was forced to shrug in acceptance of the fact, and opted for throwing his arm around Seamus and pulling him away from the room. Alain ended up trailing right behind their quartet.

"You don't want to come along, Alain?" Ash asked him with a grin. The young man shoved his hands in his pockets and sent a smirk in Ash's direction.

"Think I'll pass. Have to keep up  _some_  sense of appearance for the public," the researcher answered him. "I'm sure you four can handle things just fine, though I'm surprised  _you_  wanted to go, Astrid."

"Reasons," was Astrid's only, prideful response. "Clemont, you should be sure to inform Korrina, so she doesn't worry where you went."

"Heh heh heh…I already have!" Clemont proclaimed throwing his pointer finger into the air triumphantly. Ash wanted to laugh, but was afraid that if he removed his arm from around Seamus' shoulders, the blond would go running off well ahead of them and hijack the first helicopter he saw. "Thanks to my wonderful invention, the Eavesdropping Transmitter-"

"So Korrina heard the whole entire conversation and is probably back in the stadium. Got it." Clemont looked rather crestfallen at Astrid's barbed remark, but chose to ultimately take it all back in stride, puffing out his chest with pride. He didn't make any remark, though, his eyes glinting as he focused himself on the task that was ahead of them. More cheers rocked the area, and Ash had to guess that yet another big match had finished. It did feel a little weird to Ash, in some way, that everything seemed to be continuing on as normal despite the news they had received.

_Guess that's the job of a Champion, though,_  Ash had to figure to himself. Keeping things normal when the whole world was going crazy…he didn't envy them. Nor, it seemed, did Alain, who had already split off to head back to the stadium. To no one's surprise, a confused Mairin was standing there, looking at him. Predictably, Korrina was nowhere in sight. Ash shrugged it off and continued following, briefly glancing to the phone where he wondered if he should tell Serena, but opted against it.

Then, he felt a tug on his jacket and was pulled back for a moment, his arm wrenched away from Seamus.

"Something happened." Paul's ever-so-stern tones met Ash's ears, and the raven-haired trainer grimaced. "You're not pulling out, are you?"

"Not a chance," Ash answered with a grin. Paul just scoffed. Ash turned to look at him, noticing his sharp eyes glaring at a point beyond Ash, as though seeing something that couldn't be seen. He had to wonder if his rival was aware of what they had discussed at the meeting. "I'll be back. There's just…some stuff going on."

"Uh-huh…" Paul responded before snapping his glare right back on to Ash. "Just be careful. This isn't worth it if we don't face off again. I couldn't take that position in good faith if I couldn't beat you again."

"Like I'd let you!" Ash smirked out, holding out his fist to the young man. Paul considered it for a second, like he was crazy. Then he reached out and lightly tapped it away. It was the best acknowledgement that Ash had come to expect. Once he'd done so, Paul turned right around and began heading for the stadium.

"Tell me what's really going on when you get back. This kind of stuff never ends well when you're involved," the purple-haired man noted, and he was gone before long. Ash frowned after him, but soon after felt a nudge from Pikachu against his cheek, determining that it wasn't worth it to keep scowling. Instead, he whirled around on his feet and raced after his current companions, already far ahead of him. For a moment, he looked back after Paul, seeing some people at the concessions stands watching him with interest, as though wondering over his result, but when they looked away, so did he, trying to quickly meet with his friends.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long to catch up with them, even if he didn't reach them until they were already outside of the headquarters, listening to the crashing waterfall as they waited for the helicopter that could ferry them to Nova Town. Seamus, in particular, seemed restless, pacing back and forth already, scrabbling at his own palms. Ash really couldn't stand watching it. "Clemont, how much longer until the helicopter gets here?"

"Five minutes…maybe?" Clemont suggested, but he threw in a shrug that indicated he truly had no idea. It was five minutes that Seamus was likely going to continue being torn up inside. Ash sighed loudly.

"Then we'll see you five minutes later in Nova Town," Ash told them loudly. Seamus stopped pacing, while Astrid blinked in his direction. Clemont didn't do or say anything, as if he expected all of this. Ash just reached for his waist and pulled his pokeball out, tossing it to the air. "Charizard, come on and help us out!"

"Rawwwr!" came the loud roar that pierced the air as Ash's ever loyal Flame Pokémon emerged, soaring through the skies with a joyous grin. It wasn't to battle, but to be able to spend this time with any one of his Pokémon was precious. Charizard finished circling and landed with a slam on the ground. Ash reached up to pat him on the jaw, to which his nostrils curled a little with pleased smoke. Once he had, Ash looked to Seamus.

"We'll go to Nova a little bit ahead of them, okay? I know you're too worried to wait around, and Charizard is as fast as they come," Ash assured him. Seamus blinked a little more and then sighed. He looked over to Charizard, who nodded while Pikachu climbed on to his back. "Clemont and Astrid will meet us there just a few minutes later, but this way it's five minutes less of worrying, right?"

"Right…you're right…" Seamus breathed out. He once more tousled his hair and offered a worried smile. "Yeah, I am worried. Thanks."

"Then let's go," Ash said, stepping over and thumping him on the back. That action pushed Seamus towards Charizard, where he boarded the waiting Pokémon. Ash soon joined him, making sure they were all secured for the flight. Charizard looked surprisingly comfortable and overjoyed at the activity, despite being such a born battler. "We'll see you when you get there. Where do we want to meet?"

"Pokémon Center," was Clemont's easiest response. It made sense, and Ash nodded to both him and Astrid. She didn't look necessarily happy, but also seemed to understand, offering the both of them a wave. Ash reached down and patted Charizard, telling him to take off for the skies.

"RAAAWR!" Charizard roared, sending a spurt of flame flying high into the sky as he gave a great beating of his wings and blasted off into the air. Seamus looked to be gripping tight, though Ash wasn't sure if it was from fear of flying or fear for what happened to Nova. All they could do to assuage that was get him there faster. Ash tapped Charizard once, and his speed picked up just a little. Seamus gripped closer.

The trees zipped beneath them, Charizard already knowing the route and way to get to Nova Town to the south. It wasn't a far distance, perhaps half an hour by the speed Charizard flew at. However, every second felt like an eternity with the look on Seamus' face and the absolute air of worry that exuded from every one of his pores. It was strange, being unable to come up with anything to say, even if Ash knew he had to say something.

"I hope they're okay…" Seamus said loudly, over the wind whipping past them. Ash said nothing, sharing the same sentiments. "We've had such peace and…I don't want this to be another Team Neo."

"Yeah. But don't worry. No matter what happened there, Christopher and Rocky are real strong," Ash assured him, patting him on the back. He squinted his eyes ahead and saw what looked like the distinct monuments that were the Four Gates. "And if you're anything to go by, and your classes I saw, your students will be just fine, too."

"Sure. Just…thanks for coming with me. You didn't have to," Seamus muttered out. It was nearly drowned by the wind, but Ash couldn't help but smile. There was no need for a single thanks at all, but he liked hearing it. Once he finished smiling, though, his eyes turned to the very near sight of Nova Town, and his eyes widened. "No way…"

"The school…Charizard, land us down there!" Charizard roared in an affirmative, bending his wings inward and shooting down for the surface of the town. Ash's eyes continued to narrow as he stared out over the sight of desolation that was before him. Now that they were closer, the full extent of whatever damage had been done to Nova Town was growing clearer and clearer. This hadn't been some small skirmish with some thugs or a wild Pokémon. When even the remnants of the Mark Omega looked natural next to the destruction in the town, it was obvious there was something wrong.

Tiles were ripped up and splintered wood lay all over the place, while some Pokémon lay collapsed on the ground. Ash had to think on just how long ago this had happened, but there was no time to wonder. Charizard was nearly onto the grounds of the school, itself a large pile of shattered windows and wood. It was like a large laser or a hurricane had ripped through the entire area, leaving almost nothing behind.

Charizard finished his descent, but before his feet touched to the ground, Seamus had leapt off. He ran forward, his eyes wild and worried in that moment, while his breath was audible. Ash waited for Charizard to absolutely stop before he got off. "Charizard, watch the skies, okay?"

There was a snort as an affirmation, and the Flame Pokémon looked upwards, remaining alert. There were some Pidgey flying overhead, skirting the edge of the town slightly before diving into the forest beyond. Clearly the attack had been expertly targeted, or else the wildlife would have abandoned the place entirely. Of more interest, of course, was the town itself. The sound of crashing wood indicated Ash to Seamus' movement.

"Chupika!" Pikachu called out, giving Ash the direction to turn. He looked and saw Seamus scrambling over the ruins of the school worriedly.

"Chris! ROCKY!" he was screaming, looking prepared to dig through the wreckage of the building. Ash frowned, pulling back just a little bit to the main road. He stared down to the square, noting its ruined contents, which clearly hadn't been cleaned up from however long ago the attack was. There looked like screens, shattered and broken, and the wood splinters there appeared to be a little more than just fruit stands. "Come on, come on, come on, come on!"

"Seamus, relax!" Ash yelled back, drawing back into the school courtyard. Clouds were drawing overhead, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked while Charizard drew his tail in. A thunderstorm seemed to be coming. Stepping closer to the ruined school, Ash saw Seamus whip upwards, dropping a wooden beam that he had been attempting to lift. "They weren't in the school. I'm pretty sure. I think they were in the square, so maybe they're..."

Ash let his voice die as he saw Seamus straighten and run towards the back of the school. Ash gave a sigh and followed; he didn't want to be out here if it meant there would be a downpour. There were more important things. Pushing his legs in, Ash ran forward, quickly climbing over the remnants of the school that was there and towards the backyard. Seamus had already seemed to have stopped, heaving breaths in and out as he stood before the pair of graves. Ash blew upward, some of his hair ruffling in the wind as he reached him.

"They're here…they're still here…" Seamus expressed, looking like he was about to collapse from both relief and worry at the same time. A light burst from the man's waist, Zoroark appearing in her own relief at the sight of the graves. Ash put his hands in his pockets, briefly looking up to the rumbling sky. He hoped Clemont and Astrid would get there okay. His eyes shifted downward, to the lone grave there, the unmarked one, and he thought he saw someone there. He blinked, and they were gone like a wispy figment, clearly the result of stress. "Do you think everyone's okay?"

"Uh…well, like I said, I think they were at the square, and I'm sure everyone else…"

"The Pokémon Center, then," Seamus said, his voice dark and brooding. It sounded a bit like his old self; like he demanded some form of retribution. Ash whipped his hand out, eyes flicking over to the grave from earlier. Seamus stopped, staring at him with dull eyes a moment as Ash kept him from moving.

"Don't," was his simple statement. Seamus' lips twisted and he squeezed his eyes shut, his body shaking, but when he finally opened his eyes again, his darkness had passed. That set Ash at ease as the sound of the beating helicopter rotors met his ears. "To the Pokémon Center, it is."

The two young men turned right back around, heading straight for the courtyard again, where Charizard was waiting, trying to find an eave under which to hide. A small pitter-patter of rain started falling from the sky, freckling on Ash's skin. As he reached the broken segments of the school, Ash looked back. Lightning flashed, and once more, he thought he caught a glimpse of the figure from before, only able to discern a single detail: female. When the flash had ended, she was gone, though. It almost made Ash wonder if the ghost of Merle had somehow appeared near her grave, though he laughed off that possibility as absurd, realizing it was just the windswept trees in the background.

Wanting to escape the nearing downpour of rain, Ash ran forward, alongside Seamus, to skirt around the wreckage of the school and make their way back to the main road. Seamus wasted no time in darting down the street, aiming for the one location that they assumed everyone could be at. Ash was a little slower, looking up to see the descending helicopter landing near the fountain. In the darkening, rainy skies, it tinged the fountain with a faint red as the helicopter was lowering down. Unsurprisingly, Astrid was the first to jump out. Clemont seemed to wait until it had landed before he exited. Even with all the debris in the square, it seemed to land just fine.

"How are the townspeople?" Clemont yelled out over the beating sound of the rotors. Ash waited until he was close by to finally answer.

"There was no sign of any of them near the school or the graves there," Ash told him, also yelling. Astrid was scanning the square, scowling at the downed Pokémon. The trio turned in the direction that Seamus was dashing, for the Pokémon Center, and followed straight after him. With the rain moving in, lights began to pop up around the area in that encroaching darkness, drawing Ash's sight towards the Center, where the light was the brightest. There were shadows moving around there, and Ash felt just a little bit of relief.

The rain started truly falling now as the helicopter seemed to power down, the League pilot relaxing as he waited for them to do their surveying of the area. Feeling his skin starting to soak, Ash picked up the pace and nearly skidded to a stop right outside the Center, its doors sliding open and allowing them inside, nearly running into a frozen Seamus.

"Mr. Seamus!" cried a student in the area. Her voice was like the signal for a thousand different sounds to assail the area. Ash pulled Clemont and Astrid to the side as the students all surrounded their teacher and hugged him and Merry in relief. Though, he looked more relieved than all of them combined.

"You're all okay…"

"Not everyone," called a voice, quiet and strained. Ash looked over to its owner and saw Bethany sitting nearby, her arms around her daughter. The students all let go of their instructor and stepped back, looking like they felt bad about this. Seamus stepped forward with a disturbed look. "Chris is in the back…he…"

"What the hell happened, Beth?" Seamus asked, his voice guttural and low, like he was prepared to rip something to shreds. Ash shot him another look, and he seemed to get himself under control from it all. Once he had, Ash looked back over to the turquoise-haired woman. She stood, placing her daughter on the floor. The little girl waddled over to Astrid and pointed at her.

"Puple!" Astrid smiled and leaned down to engage with the young girl while Bethany finished approaching her friend, arms folded.

"I don't know," was the answer she gave. "I was at home when it happened. I only heard the noises, and then felt the tremors. Before I knew it, I was getting a knock at the door. They told me Chris was hurt, and Rocky wasn't much better and…"

"Damn it!" Seamus cursed, flinging his hand out, like he wanted to truly hit something. It barely missed Clemont, who ducked low and walked over towards where Nurse Joy was, the woman looking frazzled and distressed. Whatever their ensuing conversation was about, Ash knew it was regarding him using an invention of some sort to aid her in whatever needed aiding. "Do you guys know what happened?"

"It…" started the first girl that had greeted him. She looked scared, almost trembling, until a boy grabbed on to her and seemed to give her encouragement. "It was like a storm. One minute we were watching the tournament, then the next there were these…machines."

"Like a missile storm," entered a new voice, one which was all too familiar to Ash. He turned and saw Rocky limping out a bit, clutching at his side. Bethany rounded at him and pointed towards the back room that he had emerged from.

"You're healing. Go back inside," she snapped.

"I'm fine. Chris'll be fine, too," Rocky insisted. He looked up, making sure to capture the gazes of both Seamus and Ash, almost ignoring Astrid for the moment. Seamus breathed with more relief over his state. "There were these two people, with these robots, and a Mega Beedrill. They attacked so fast, we barely had a moment to blink. All they said was that they came for us…I got hit in the side by some stuff."

"The rest of the town?" Ash voiced, wanting to prevent Seamus from going off in his current fragile state of worry. Rocky frowned, looking like he was chewing at the inside of his cheek.

"The students and those nowhere near the square got out okay," Rocky answered. Ash closed his eyes, already fearing the worst from that comment. He reached across and clasped Seamus' shoulder to prevent him from making any bad moves. "A lot of people tried to fight back, but for those that managed to make it out, they said it was like they couldn't even move…Same with their Pokémon…then one of them started cutting everyone down with an Aegislash.

"We couldn't move the heavier Pokémon."

"What?" came Ash and Astrid's flat tones at the same moment, each feeling like just a small piece of them had died inside at the comment. Rocky finally looked to the young woman, his features softening a little bit.

"We tried, but they overwhelmed us…and some didn't survive. It was so quick…" Rocky's eyes looked clouded, as if he was drowning in a sea of guilt, his hands shaking with a combination of rage and grief, no doubt. "The rest, we moved to either here or the police station. Most of us are here, though, including the students. Felt it was safest."

"Mr. Seamus, the town will be okay, won't it?" called another of the students. Ash squeezed his shoulder a moment and retracted his hand, allowing Seamus to turn towards them with a smile, no matter how terse it was.

"Of course. No matter what, we'll keep you all safe," was the reply. The students looked relieved at that, even if they didn't relax in the slightest. Ash didn't blame them. "For now, let's just keep everyone here, yeah? Beth, what's Chris' condition?"

"Hurt badly, but Nurse Joy and the town doctor says he should be okay," Bethany replied. She seemed to want something to do, so she stepped forward and Ash started hearing her conversation with Seamus descend into talk regarding the school. Likewise, Rocky finally approached Astrid as she seemed to play a small game with little Thea.

"Surprised to see you here," he mentioned. Astrid looked up at him, and offered a tiny smile. As she stood, she gave a small punch to his uninjured side.

"We Nova Niners need to stick together," she told him. Ash didn't quite buy that excuse, but he let the two have their moment as he walked back towards Clemont through the packed Center. "It's good to see you, though. Kind of missed the old conversations."

Ash let their conversation fade away, too, when he finally reached the counter. Nurse Joy was already running to the back, leaving him alone with Clemont. His friend said nothing, fingers gripping tightly to the counter. "It was devastating."

"Yeah…" Ash admitted. Water splashed onto him, and Ash realized that Pikachu had jumped on to the counter, shaking off his fur. "Do you know how many?"

"Not a lot, but enough," Clemont noted, closing his eyes a moment. He let go and turned around, the both of them now leaning against the counter, which allowed them to survey the whole room. "Nurse Joy estimated at fifteen people…and nearly double the amount of Pokémon."

"Why…?" Ash asked. His eyes flicked over to Seamus; he couldn't blame him for being so angry. Hearing what had happened was making Ash's own blood boil. "Why would anyone attack a small town like Nova Town?"

"That's the question…the power of the Four Gates is gone, and even with it, you'd need Rayquaza to make any use of it," Clemont commented. Ash knew this, and so chose not to say anything, glancing outside. The rain was still going, more bird Pokémon fluttering past in an attempt to escape the area. "I just don't see a reason…and to kill so many…"

"Makes it feel too real," Ash expressed with a sigh. Having nothing much he could do until Nurse Joy returned, Ash resumed raking the Center with his eyes, seeing all the people gathered there, either trying to calm down from the attack or otherwise helping out. He had hoped it was just a mix-up, but that clearly hadn't been the case, and it made his thoughts fly over to ARC, and whether  _they_  had been okay. Had they been targeted, the same as Nova Town? And if so, for what reason?

Pikachu didn't look to have much of an idea, though Clemont was muttering to himself through all the possibilities. A small flicker of flame near the front of the Center told Ash that Charizard had found a spot there to keep out of the rain. It was all above his head, but it made Ash worry regardless. For such a small town to be targeted, there could only be a few reasons, ranging anywhere from being an easy target for sport to potentially a particular person being a target. Like maybe someone they thought would be there, but wasn't.

"Maybe someone who came back once he'd…" Clemont's line of thought cut off again at the same time as Ash reached his same conclusion. "Is it a targeted attack to take out prominent figures or organizations…? And if that's the case, does that mean this was-"

"A trap! Protect now!" Ash yelled before anything more could be said.

Time moved in slow motion. Ash lunged forward, grabbing ahold of Clemont and Pikachu. Astrid, Rocky and Seamus all reached for their pokeballs, tossing them forward while likewise grabbing those around them, with the school's founder returning Merry as quick as he could. There was an explosion of light as Meowstic, Carracosta and Rhyperior appeared. All of them in that building hit the floor.

The Pokémon Center exploded around them.

Like gale of wind and fire, the material that made up the Center was blown away, whirling through like an inferno. The students screamed, and Bethany's daughter grabbed tightly ahold of Astrid. Ash lifted his head a little, narrowing his eyes. There were turquoise shields all around, mitigating the damage done and preventing everything and everyone from being blown away, all thanks to the earlier trio's quick actions. More importantly, though, was the figure flying through the firestorm.

"Steel Wing! Find it!" Ash screamed over the loud noise. He could feel the rain returning now that the roof seemed to be blown off, hitting his skin like hot oil as steam billowed around the area. Ash closed his eyes again, listening and waiting before he heard the piercing roar, felt the wind cut off, and then the subsequent noise of a powerful attack slamming into the opponent. "Pikachu, follow the noise, use Quick Attack!"

"Vikavolt, String Shot to stop the rubble from crushing us!" Clemont ordered from next to him. The Electric types moved in an instant, each shooting off for their respective goals (Clemont's partner having instantly materialized from within his pokeball) while Ash hauled his friend up. They weren't the only ones moving, with Seamus and Astrid joining them in standing. Astrid quickly moved Thea over to her mother, before turning to face the tussle between Charizard, Pikachu and the foe that had attacked them. "They knew we were coming. The only question was how?"

"That doesn't matter," Seamus spat out. Carracosta remained outside, but the blond had called out Alakazam. Likewise, Absol was at Astrid's side. Ash ran forward, the steam beginning to clear from Alakazam's Psychic moving it away, offering a better view of whoever had made a second attack upon Nova Town. Seamus was at his side in seconds. "Who the hell are you?"

"Ah, damn it, not again," called the voice from within the remaining steam, sounding annoyed. A flapping of wings was heard, and Charizard had pulled back, clutching to Pikachu, who he deposited on the ground. Ash peered into the steam and two figures emerged: a man and his Camerupt near to the square, with the man tossing four pokeballs up and down into the air. "Why do people have to make jobs harder than they should be?"

"Hey, you mind answering the question?" Ash demanded, holding a fist up into the air. The steam had completely cleared now, revealing the man in more detail, his dirty blond hair and darkened cloak accenting the annoyed scowl on his face. Next to Ash, his three companions had joined him, while Rocky and Bethany hung back to guard the Center with the three protecting Pokémon. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Why?" the man asked, his scowl turning up into a small smirk. His Camerupt was pouring slight smoke from its back, as if preparing for another attack. Ash tried to quickly take stock of the entire area while waiting for the answer. "Like. I'd. Tell."

"Then answer the first question, asshole," Seamus demanded, his dark look conveying his intent all too well. "It's obvious you're here to finish some job, so tell me who I'm going to have the pleasure of beating the crap out of."

"Hmm…" the man said, throwing three of his pokeballs into the air. Three different Darumaka all emerged, dancing and clacking against one another. "I'm the toll gate of Team Rocket, and the price…is your lives."

"Say what?" Astrid asked. Ash's face scrunched in intense focus. New questions were appearing in his mind now from the declaration made, but Ash was certain there was no more time to think on it. The man, the "Toll", Ash decided to call him, grinned.

"Earth Power!" he cried out, tossing his hands to the sky and the rain that was yet pouring down upon them. The Darumaka all bounced forward, surrounded by flames that were now emitting steam. The ground cracked and glowed golden all around them. Ash wasted no time.

"Rocky, stay back and protect the Center! Charizard, Dragon Tail!"

"Grrrawr!" Charizard roared, swooping right in as he spun around in midair. His tail glowed a violent green before he swiped it downward and slammed directly upon Camerupt's head. Toll made no extreme movements, only leaping away with his hands in his pockets. He looked confident, but other than that, Ash couldn't get a read on him.

"Energy Ball!" Seamus snapped angrily, his hand like a claw that swiped across his face. A bright light was shining out from Alakazam's body, the Pokémon already Mega Evolving swiftly, before flying around the opponent they were up against. Toll darted to the side, outside its effective range, while the Psi Pokémon called forth orb upon orb of green energy and peppered Camerupt's body with it. Surprisingly, it remained sturdy. Not that Seamus' attack was the only one.

"Mow it down with Dark Pulse!" Astrid yelled out. Ash looked back to Clemont, who nodded. The Darumaka were already attacking when a yellow beam fired from the zipping Vikavolt to bounce them all backwards. Absol leapt up into the air and sent a powerful Dark Pulse colliding with Camerupt's body, making it slide backwards.

"I suppose I'll need to be a little more proactive against four opponents than just one, hm? Shame," Toll replied. He took his hands out of his pockets, and placed them against the side of one of the Four Gates. "Rock Polish…and Eruption."

"Quick Attack, Pikachu. Get moving real quick," Ash told him. Pikachu nodded and blasted forward with a streaking white light behind his body. Camerupt shined brightly, blue sparks traveling all along its body. Then it practically jumped backwards with speed, skidding along the cobblestone that it was ripping up. The ground exploded, a giant geyser of flame jutting up from underneath it and the resting helicopter in the square. Pikachu dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding it before yet another one blasted upwards in front of him, steam pouring from it as a result of the rain that was pattering the flaming column. A shadow flitted past the other side, Absol on the move.

"Nail it! Megahorn!" Astrid shouted out. Camerupt finished skidding into the square, a ring of flaming pillars exploding with force around it. Absol was already in the ring, while Pikachu dashed in between the gaps. Both converged upon Camerupt and slammed right into it. From where Ash was, he looked and saw Seamus running for their human opponent.

"Flamethrower! Seamus, don't!" Ash said, almost disbelieving of the fact that he actually had to tell someone not to be so hot-headed. Another Charge Beam narrowly missed the opposing Darumaka. Charizard came roaring through the air again, his maw opening wide and unleashing a torrent of flame upon the Camerupt.

"Are you the one that hurt my friends and students? 'Cause if you are, I'll make you pa-"

"You're annoying." Toll barely even moved; while Seamus punched at the man, he grabbed Seamus' hand and flipped him around, slamming him down to the wet ground and causing him to gag. "Make  _me_  pay? Pay for your own sins. Earth Power."

"Gah…Alakazam, Drain Punch," Seamus gritted out from his place on the ground. Toll looked to completely ignore him. The flames around Camerupt sputtered and died out, replaced with the familiar cracking and groaning sound as the golden glow returned. Alakazam floated forward, all of its spoons traveling behind its figure as its fist glowed green, swirling with power. The ground's glow reached its zenith and began to burst.

"Psycho Cut," Astrid called out, placing her own foot forward with a scowl. Absol jumped back and whipped its head around, sending the purple crescent out for Camerupt. It whistled through the air in an arc before colliding with the Pokémon and exploding, causing the ground to cease its cracking, just in time for Alakazam to punch down on Camerupt. Water flung up through the air, and Ash looked back to see Seamus scrambling away from Toll, the man still looking disinterested.

"Clemont?" Ash called back, wondering the state of the side fight before determining his own move.

"On it!" Clemont shouted. Ash took only a second to look back and then ducked. A thick piece of string came whipping out of nowhere, the three Darumaka all tied to together and being flung right at Camerupt as it recovered. Ash grinned at the expert wrap-up Clemont had shown in mere moments. "Bug Buzz!"

"Vikshaaaaa!" Vikavolt chattered out, sending red waves pulsing out around the area. It even caused the recovering Camerupt to shudder from it as Pikachu raced in. His tail glowed a bright white light and then he slapped it right against the Eruption Pokémon's face. Toll quirked an eyebrow and then scoffed, once more raising his arms.

"Eruption!"

"Contain it with Psychic!" Seamus yelled, finally getting back up to his feet. Ash moved a little to the side, himself, when he saw that Astrid and Clemont were also moving, taking different sides around their foe. They had almost trapped their opponent. Meanwhile, the large explosions that were erupting from the ground were being held in orbs by Alakazam before being dispersed as quickly as it could make them.

"Charizard, Steel Wing! Hit it up!" Ash yelled to the sky. Charizard gave yet another piercing roar and came blasting inward with his shining wing. He flapped his wings out along the ground and glided near to its surface before reaching the foe and slicing upwards, the silvery wings knocking Camerupt off balance and hurling it slightly into the air. "Now Seismic Toss!"

"Absol, to me!" Astrid shouted out. Absol leapt back, Pikachu jumping on to his back. Charizard, meanwhile, grabbed ahold of Camerupt and lifted its immense size into the air, spinning round and round as he ascended. Then he changed direction and plummeted downward, spinning rapidly and letting go at the last second. Camerupt impacted with the ground, and the Darumaka beneath its collapsing figure, causing whatever was left of the square to be blasted apart. Camerupt didn't stir. Charizard took back to the air and landed with their circle of trainers and Pokémon already surrounding Toll. Ash took a step forward.

"You lose. Now, answer our questions," he said sternly. Regardless of his demands or air of authority, however, Ash's body remained tense. Toll was barely moving, still looking pretty relaxed; even his facial expression wasn't exactly showing either confidence or nervousness in any way. "You're from Team Rocket? What are you planning?"

"The new world." Ash scrunched his eyebrows, but Seamus wasn't going to give anyone a chance to think about any other words that Toll was speaking.

"Then what kind of new world involves blowing up my home!" Seamus demanded. The Pokémon all growled, each of them on edge at their trainers' sides. Toll pushed himself off of the Gate, cracking his neck a bit before answering lazily.

"The kind that's for glory. Not that, I'm afraid, most of you will live to see it. You see, we only need-"

"Tolbert."

Ash's fingers twitched, a chill running down his spine. The voice was eerie and commanding, almost ghostly in nature. Yet he didn't know where it was coming from. Astrid didn't waver from where she was looking, while Clemont did try to find the source of the voice. After a moment, he did find the origin of the sound: a woman, standing near the fountain, placing a hand on Camerupt. It stirred, coming to stand shakily and tossing its head back and forth.

"I believe that's enough," she continued to speak, her voice continually chilling Ash. He turned to her, but found his movement suddenly restricted. His head was going foggy and his limbs lost all control of their own. "We can afford a change in plans. Our ideal world can afford a sacrifice or two. There  _are_  backups, after all, should it prove unworthy to choose this path."

"If you say so. It would be much easier if I didn't have to decide, after all," the man, Tolbert obviously, said with a shrug. Ash tried to whip around towards him, but his body still wasn't responding. Tolbert strode forward, brushing past them all with a smirk, towards his Camerupt and the woman, who was smiling coyly at them. "I'm terribly sorry. Nova Town was just meant to draw you out…this particular change of plans wasn't anticipated, but it serves things well, in the long run."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ash gritted out angrily, finding that at least his mouth was still working. At his feet, Pikachu was straining as well, unable to move his own limbs just the same. Yet Tolbert was moving altogether fine. The only thing they could seem to move were their heads, each of them staring directly into the square. Seamus gave an audible gasp.

"What…you…who are you? !" he roared, but his cries fell in vain to the woman's un-telling smirk.

"Me? Or we?" the woman said, her auburn hair barely even matted by the rain that was still falling. Tolbert stopped his advance and turned to face them all, holding up two objects: a pokeball and a keystone. Ash strained further, unable to explain why his mind felt like it was slowly slipping away from him. Tolbert was the one to answer, however.

"We are the harbingers of the end of the world," he called, tossing both objects high. From the pokeball emerged a large Darmanitan with a grin on its face. The keystone spiraled through the air in an arc. "The beginning of a new one. One that Team Rocket will take us into in all its glory.

"One, I'm sorry to say, you will now never see."

The keystone finished its descent, and Tolbert caught it. Light erupted, with Camerupt changing and Mega Evolving. A bright orb flared upwards from Darmanitan's body, cutting through the clouds entirely and shining the heated sun upon Nova Town once more. The sky turned blue for all of a second before glowing an angry red, some smaller Pokémon fleeing from the air, and a larger shape on the edge of the town's airspace becoming little more than a shadow in the light.

Only, the sun wasn't the only thing glowing. The whole town was glowing a red hot, steaming and smoking as Camerupt's body looked ready to completely explode. In the haze of that heat, Tolbert appeared to draw back, and all Ash could see in the heat was a shadow flitting across the ground, the man having seemingly disappeared in the distracting heat haze. Little shapes, looking distinctly like the Darumaka from earlier, began to pop up along the ground, just as red, adding to the heat. Ash strained, and finally, he felt his limbs free and stretching forward, falling towards the burning ground.

There was no time.

Ash opened his mouth, screaming an order for those near him and the whole town, while his hand reached for his bag. The light pierced the air, reaching its peak at last, consuming all voices spoken and actions taken.

Then came the rumble.

Then came the boom.

And the raging flames erupted around Nova Town with such a fury, that no one could do a thing.

When it subsided, everything in Nova Town but the Pokémon Center and those therein…was obliterated off the face of the earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, this was…er, explosive (pardon the pun). To be honest, this is where the plot pretty much flies off right from the beginning: the introduction at these shady operatives that work for Team Rocket making moves. Yes, Tolbert, or Toll, is the one that killed Lionel in Chapter 1. I wanted to go with a bomber that wasn't all about sadistic explosions. He's targeted and smart and has control of his battlefield, even if his opponents don't think so. That's how I wanted to present this.
> 
> However, we're not done with Nova Town yet, even if Nova Town itself is truly quite done after that explosion. Though, of course, there's much more to the story and who knows if Ash and the others managed to survive. All I can say is that I hope it will be a tense ride.
> 
> Now that the final story is well underway, I hope I can rely on all of you! Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	4. A Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this unfortunately sharp feeling that people don't read my author's notes these days, so I might as well repeat here: don't expect anything you usually expect with a Team Rocket plot here. That said, plese enjoy Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

A Grave

It was a horrible sight. That was Lance's first thought upon seeing the demolished building that was at the site of his arrival. He grimaced, striding forward, his head traveling back and forth as he took it all in. People were running around the building, trying to keep spectators away despite the cordoned off area, while others were plunging themselves deep into the rubble. It wasn't a particularly large task force of International Police officers, Lance knew, but he was grateful for the assistance. The sooner they could wrap all this up, the sooner he could spare some men for Nova Town…assuming Ash hadn't already resolved it all.

"Might have to call the Foundation in on this one…" the Champion muttered under his breath, hands sliding into his pockets as he approached the pile of debris that was once the building. There was the flash of a camera within the wreckage, but Lance soon heard a clattering of stones from near him, and he turned his head on instinct.

"Sergeant Anabel of the International Police reporting for duty, Champion, sir!" cried a distinctly familiar female voice from next to Lance. He turned his head and gave an amused expression to the lilac-haired woman that was standing there.

"At ease, Anabel. And no need to call me 'sir'. You're a Frontier Brain before you're an officer of the IP to me," Lance informed her. Anabel lowered her salute and nodded, instantly looking more relieved. Lance couldn't help but sigh at that; having a League initiative to allow greater involvement from Gym Leaders, and other key officials, in the major peacekeeping organizations wasn't a bad one. It just got annoying when they all felt he was their actual boss. "I'm glad Looker was able to lend me you from HQ."

"I was happy to come. Something like this requires immediate action, and my psychic abilities may be of some use here," the woman stated. Lance nodded in agreement with that. Their greetings now out of the way, the two made their way in towards the crumbling building. They stopped a few feet inwards, so that they could scan the area. "Rage…sadness…"

"You can sense the thoughts of the dead now?" Lance asked, his face entirely stoic as he asked it. He didn't want to be jerked around or joked with. Anabel walked forward slowly, shaking her head.

"No…just those of the living, even if they're attached to a location. But I feel as though there was such a titanic battle here, that those thoughts and feelings are imprinted on this very area," was her answer. Lance squinted at her skeptically, but trusted her words. Anabel hadn't been such an asset to the International Police on intuition alone. "I feel as though two convictions clashed here: one for peace, and the other…it's murky, but there's a feeling I can't describe. It's etched deep."

"Whatever it was, it was either controlled and targeted or very, very indiscriminate in its anger," Lance replied. Anabel said nothing to this, and Lance headed further inside now (despite the fact there was not enough ceiling remaining to call it an inside). It was completely desolate here, despite one of the officers turning over a stone to find a body beneath it. "Anabel, would you be able to tell if there were any survivors?"

"Not unless they were nearby," the woman admitted, offering a shrug of her shoulders. However, she also reached for a pokeball at her waist and tossed it down. "Espeon, my friend. Can you search for any bodies in the rubble?"

"Eon!" Espeon mewled out, trotting forward. Lance watched the lilac-furred fox move deeper into the building area, its red gem glowing lightly. It was almost like the Pokémon was scanning the entire area, calling out every time it seemed to locate something. With every single one, Anabel would act like some sort of director, sending officers over with Psychic types or heavy lifting Pokémon to remove the rubble and show the ARC agents underneath.

"An out and out massacre," Lance drawled distastefully. His eyes traveled up to the doleful sky, not tinged with the rainbow that had been in their reports. He sighed when Espeon called out one more time. Something about the way it had called to them disturbed Lance. As a result, he snapped his gaze to the final area that Espeon had found, the most amount of rubble having fallen into that space. He ran forward, calling Dragonite out in moments. His trusted partner knew instantly what he wanted, grabbing onto the rubble and with a single swing, knocked it all away. Lance winced.

"Something wrong, sir?" Anabel asked, before shaking her head rapidly. "Sorry. Lance."

"How familiar are you with ARC?" Lance asked, drawing his eyes to a close as he bent down before the rubble and the man that was lying there, almost unidentifiable. Anabel shook her head again, indicating that she didn't know much. "This is Lionel…their leader."

"Then does that mean…?"

"I don't know what it means," Lance admitted. He reached over, touching his hand to the charred skin. It was difficult to tell, but he knew his identification was correct from the charred pieces of the charm bracelet that were still left on the body's wrist. Once he had confirmed it, he straightened once more, reaching into his pocket for his portable communications device and punching in the administration code for the IRCS. In seconds, he had located Derek's device and connected with it swiftly. In the meantime, Anabel walked away, likely to help more with the "excavation". The Champion watched her go, examining the area with his own eyes.

"Champion Lance, what news do you have?" was the reply before Lance even realized his contact was on.

"Lionel is dead. No sign of anyone else in your leadership, far as I can tell, though the bodies are so burnt one can't be certain," was Lance's terse answer. He stepped further in now, examining the site of battle between, likely, Lionel and the one that had attacked them. "Is there any change in Azalea?"

"We've done what we could, but other than the dark purple color from the well, likely a result of the stones down there being…well…" Derek looked shaken when Lance looked at his face on the screen. He didn't blame him at all. Regardless, the man recovered from it all. "Not much change, no."

"Hm…all right. If anyone gets in touch with you from your leadership, tell me. Otherwise, you're interim leader of ARC." Lance gave him no time to debate the issue, and ended the connection. The red-haired man strode further in, looking at the state of the wreckage.

"Scorched beyond belief," Anabel stated, practically reading his mind as she rejoined him, "but centered, as though it came from a Pokémon. At least, that's what some of the IP's experts seem to say."

Lance remained silent, his fingers starting to twist in and around themselves while he made a three-sixty with the entire area. More crunching was heard over the stones as an officer, someone that looked rather green (all things considered), approached Anabel with a tablet and showed it to her. Lance reached up to tap his chin.  _A blast centered around a Pokémon, all as part of a well-coordinated attack…_

"Lance, you may want to see this," Anabel stated, drawing close to him and handing him the tablet. He looked down to see footage of what looked like a live news report. "Nova Town. It was bombed in the same exact way just a short while ago. It appears the reporters know it's a follow-up to a previous assault. They're saying it was coordinated with drones that launched an attack."

"Crap," was Lance's vehement response. He knew Malva wouldn't be able to hold reporters off forever, but nor had he expected Nova Town to be attacked  _again_. That sent an uncomfortable ball into his stomach that made him grimace. Although, the worst part wasn't that it  _had_  happened, but rather the  _manner_  in which it had. He straightened up. "Anabel, stay here and recover everything you can."

"Of course, sir, but where are you going?" she asked, neither realizing her slipup in formalities. Lance began walking away, but briefly turned back, debating what to say a moment.

"I have to stop this media storm before it gets out of hand…then, I need to see your boss," Lance answered honestly. Anabel nodded, her hair flopping a little. The Champion turned away, a grim expression settling on his face as Dragonite reached him, allowing him to climb on.  _Yes, I very much need to speak with Looker. Especially if my suspicions are right._

* * *

That morning, Serena had expected to wake up and take part in yet another day of the, as the veteran Performers liked to call it, "Showcase Spectacular". It was all to be a three-day event featuring Performers from the past and present in a big event within Lumiose City; one that would be simple, enjoyable, and help brighten up the already gleaming Lumiose City. Moreover, it seemed to cover the part of the city and region that  _wasn't_  enthralled by the battles taking place at the Champion Tournament.

What she  _hadn't_  expected, however, was the news that afternoon.

Perhaps it struck harder to her very soul because it could be seen as a sharp contrast of that morning, a morning that she tried to remember fondly as those images of seeming carnage and devastation played out across the screen. Bonnie was gripping to her shoulder, her face looking hard as they both watched the screen. They weren't the only ones, and judging from the way some of her friends in the room were closing their eyes, they were trying to travel back to those happier times, too.

Serena, herself, lifted her eyes upwards, towards the windows there, as she tried to recall the peaceful morning. It had seemed so simple then, all of the Performers that had arrived in Lumiose City preparing for the third and final day of the Spectacular. It had all been an idea that she and the other older Performers had cooked up together: instead of leaving out those who couldn't care less about battles, they decided to strike up a big event for the more Performance-oriented.

"After all, the Champion Tournament is meant to bring people together celebrating the top trainers!" Aria had expressed with enthusiasm and agreement at the honey blonde's idea. Serena had been absolutely elated.

"Though maybe we should make it about more than just Kalos," she remembered suggesting in turn. Aria and the others appeared to like the idea, though it proved harder than Serena thought it would. For one, those of her friends that would have been interested in it all had previous plans (she didn't know where May was, and Dawn was visiting an old friend in Sinnoh), which made that gathering process all the harder. It would have continued to be so, if not for various suggestions from the others. Even along the way, Miette helped remind her of just what it was all about.

"Remember that we're making it about the current generation of new Performers," she had told them all with a shrug.

"Of course! It's about more than just us, after all!" Serena and Aria had said in tandem, which led to Miette scoffing loudly. However, what it also led to was an even greater flurry of activity for the Spectacular. Naturally, even with the Champion Tournament to be held, Ash had almost seemed to want in on the event, though Clemont kept him busy with training, as did Korrina. Bonnie just ended up splitting her attentions between the two, given that she was staying in Lumiose City between League challenges (she had actually planned on attempting Alola next, but had not yet told her family).

It had all led to that three-day event, a few days after Ash and the others had departed. Numerous girls had poured in: some looking to learn from the best of the best in the Showcase world, with each of the older generation of Performers, that included herself, teaching different events and putting on performances. Others wanted to just perform with that older generation, with Serena and Aria having gotten the most attention. What made it most enjoyable was seeing all of her old rivals (except for an elusive Nini), standing on the same side of a performance…well, until Bonnie somehow baited the crowd just this morning into seeing all of them perform against one another while teaming up with another, younger girl.

"Think about it," Bonnie expressed to them with the sly grin that Serena usually associated with her romantic teasing, "the crowd gets to see old idols go at it in a clash, while the new girls get to work with all of you. It's perfect!"

Perfect hadn't been quite the word Serena would have chosen to describe the whole event that morning, but it was certainly  _fun_. Everyone in the crowd, those not watching the Tournament, had a great deal of fun, even getting in on the dancing when Serena had suggested it. All of it was a wonderful chance for every Performer, past and present, to revel in the moment of joy. Serena had even been certain she'd caught a sight of Palermo in the crowd, tapping her foot, as unlikely as it was. Though, she had hoped to catch sight of Lillie in the crowd, she knew that three days was far too little time for the now-seasoned traveler to hop right over from where she was currently residing with her boyfriend. Assuming she was still there, of course…

However, no matter the joy which that event had brought, it was a complete and stark contrast to the images now present on the screen. No matter how many smiles she'd brought. No matter how much fun they'd all had. No matter how many Performers walked away, glad that they had all met, it all fell away at the sight of the burning town. Of Nova Town.

"Reporters on the scene remain unclear of just what occurred in this small corner of Kalos," a female reporter off the screen said, speaking rapidly, like there was much to say. Serena's lips turned down a little as the chatter of the young Performers in the room increased with worry. She didn't want to let them start panicking, and the honey blonde's eyes turned to Aria, the two sharing a definitive look while the reporter continued on. "All we can tell is that a large-scale explosion seems to have obliterated much of the town, save for the Pokémon Center. The death toll is unknown."

"This is horrible…"

"Those poor, poor people," called another girl. Aria clapped her hands together loudly.

"Everyone, calm down. No time for worrying," the former Kalos Queen called to the crowd, taking some of their attention away from the television and the news that was playing out on it. Bonnie stepped closer, slipping her hand from the Performer's shoulder, and squeezed Serena's hand, like it was telling her that everything was fine.

"I'm sure our friends there are okay, right?" the lemon blonde asked. Serena didn't answer right away; she wanted the full knowledge of the situation that she could get before rushing to take action.

"There have to be  _some_  survivors," Miette drawled from next to her, coming to stand nearby. Serena looked to her friend and rival, the bluenette having folded her arms. It was subtle, but Serena could see that even she looked concerned about these rather disturbing events going on. It took what should have been a moment of celebration, and turned it into one of mourning. Or, at least, that's where it was heading, and Serena knew she had to take the reins soon.

"It would seem that a good many survived, thankfully," the reporter continued on (of course, only  _after_  all of the destruction was shown…Serena wondered if the media was simply scrambling for answers). "It would seem all the students of the Nova School are present and accounted for, along with some members of the prestigious Nova Nine, wounded though they are. Investigators may be dispatched to the town to find the cause of this explosion soon."

" _May_  be dispatched?" Bonnie asked almost incredulously. Serena breathed out a little, though not enough to be audible. The girls around them were all calming down from Aria's intervention, though there was still a rather perceptible edge to the whole entire room. She felt she could only imagine what was happening on the outside. Serena turned to Miette.

"Can you calm down those on the outside?" she asked of her friend. Miette unfolded her arms, giving a sigh that wasn't quite exasperated, but conveyed her feelings toward the situation in general.

"Yeah, I'll go grab Shauna; she's somewhere around here, right?" Miette mentioned before walking off. It was almost strange to see the bluenette take a request without some kind of challenge towards her, but Serena liked to think that it was more of a testament to how close they were to one another, now.

That being done, Serena turned away from the television, letting it ramble on repetitive facts that seemed to be getting them nowhere, or at least no closer to the truth. Bonnie appeared to do a double take at her departure, the honey blonde striding towards the phone in the lobby of the League stadium (which they had been using for some of their performances). Quickly, the lemon blonde dashed after her. "What are you thinking of, Serena?"

"Calling Ash," was the easy answer. Bonnie frowned a bit, but seemed to understand that there was more to it than all of that, given that she didn't say anything. It was true; while Serena said she was calling her husband, it was really more her way of saying she was calling the League. If anyone was well aware of the events that had taken place in Nova Town, it would have most assuredly been them.

"You can't be sure he'll pick up, you know," Bonnie pointed out. Serena ignored her, reaching the phones that were there and picking one of them up. Her companion flung herself against the wall, frowning down at the screen of the phone. There wasn't much to make Bonnie lose her perennial smile, but this certainly seemed to be one of those things. Dedenne, waking up from a nap, seemed to become aware of his trainer's predicament, scampering up the bag to rest on her head.

"Maybe not, but someone should know  _something_ ," Serena pointed out, punching in the number to the Kalos League Headquarters. There was no point calling the public phones there, considering anyone could pick up. "I just want information before I do anything."

"What are you gonna do?" Bonnie asked, leaning her head a little forward. Serena didn't answer, too busy putting in the number. The lemon blonde sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out the ever-familiar green blob that was one of her consummate partners. It was a bit of a surprise to have Squishy there, even to this day, but at the same time, it always felt welcoming to see…even if he spent a lot of time sleeping. Peace in the world seemed to do that…until now, at least. "Squishy, do  _you_  sense anything going on?"

"Brlbl?" Squishy questioned, almost like it was oblivious. The "answer" made Bonnie sigh again and shrug.

"Guess it can't be that bad, then," was Bonnie's conclusion. Serena resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Bonnie's laissez-faire attitude as she focused in on the phone, ringing now. Squishy appeared to turn in Bonnie's hands, staring at the television, and the honey blonde wondered if, now that he was aware, something  _was_  indeed going on. Maybe Squishy's senses had dulled…or they just hadn't paid attention to any signs…?

Those disturbed thoughts fled from Serena's mind at someone finally picking up on the other end. To her surprise, it was none of the Champions, or an Elite Four member, but Diantha's eternal manager, Kathi Lee. At the very least, it was a familiar face, as was her own to the esteemed manager. "Ah, Mrs. Ketchum, I don't believe the League was expecting your call."

"It's just Serena," the honey blonde reminded her. With that out of the way, Serena leaned in, trying to keep her voice even and measured, calm and composed. "I was calling for Ash, or Diantha. Both are fine. I need to speak with them."

"Not possible, I'm afraid," the manager spoke, adjusting her glasses. It was said in such a sharp and blunt tone that it cut off any hope of receiving a better answer. The Performer stepped back, not particularly caring for the answer as she frowned at the screen. Kathi seemed to realize this and offered a slightly apologetic smile. "Neither are available, at this moment. I'm not authorized to share why."

"Does it have to do with Nova Town?" was Serena's request. Kathi didn't answer, but her eyes shined beneath her glasses. For not saying a single word, Serena gleaned a lot of information. The League  _was_  already acting in some capacity in regards to Nova Town, but it was just a question of how quickly such a large-scale attack could be dealt with. Serena exhaled, blowing her hair upwards for a moment. "Is there anything you  _can_  tell me?"

"Nothing that you haven't likely already seen on the news," came that rather peculiar non-answer. Serena's fingers started tapping on her current dress, trying to parse just what the woman was saying. "The League is doing everything it can to resolve the current string of situations. I'm afraid all resources are tied up until them. We only have time for those with more information.

"I'm sorry." Serena blinked. The woman's tone had changed at the end there, as though it was apologizing for something more than not giving any answers. She couldn't question it, though, as the connection was terminated immediately after. Serena blinked again, unsure how to process the events that had just happened.

"Fat load of help that was," Bonnie complained.

"Dene?" Dedenne questioned, looking down her head and staring at her. The lemon blonde smiled and reached up, cuddling her Pokémon to her with a smile. Serena, however, disagreed, and reached up to flick her hair outwards a little bit. Without a second thought she started taking strong strides towards Aria.

"Uh…Serena?" Bonnie called after her, but the lemon blonde received no answer.

Kathi Lee had said quite a bit. While Serena couldn't figure out exactly what she meant by her last words, there was still a lot to be said. Ash was dealing with the Nova problem, no doubt because Seamus was there. Diantha and the other Champions were also incredibly busy dealing with it; after all, there was no reason for such a response if they were unaware or busy with the tournament. But the factor of the most importance was that Kathi Lee was outright telling her to find out more information on what was going on. To help them determine just what had occurred in Nova Town…and whatever other incident the manager had been referring to.

There was a way to do both at once…all while focusing on the thing she felt was more important than any other.

"Aria!" Serena called over, finally reaching the pinkette that turned to her. The girls in the area all looked in Serena's direction, and noise was emanating from the outside, showing that Miette and Shauna were doing their job of quelling any panic that might have been inflicted upon the populace. Aria stepped away to speak more directly with her performance partner. "I spoke with the League, though they didn't give me much."

"Couldn't get ahold of Ash?" Aria asked quietly, keeping her voice low so the conversation wouldn't affect the girls near them. Bless their beautiful souls, but Serena knew that in the peaceful age, so many of them would be ill-equipped to dealing with any nature of disturbance. Knowing that, Serena gave a miniscule shake of her head.

"It's unimportant, though," the honey blonde told her. Aria tilted her head, as though rather interested in what she could say now, and Serena continued on for an explanation. "I think we should bring together anyone willing to, and offer aid to Nova Town."

"You want to make sure your friends are all right, don't you?" the former Kalos Queen asked. Serena gave a small tilting of her head at the conversation.

"A little, but the League seems to be tied down, and even in collaboration with the Foundation, who knows how long it could take to get help to the town," Serena told her sternly. Aria reached a hand up, tapping her chin in contemplation. Serena wasn't worried, knowing all too well of Aria's altruistic heart; the woman was likely planning  _how_  rather than whether they should. "Well?"

"I like the idea. I'll coordinate efforts with the Pokémon Centers. In the meantime, why don't you get changed and gather any that would like to help you out?" was her suggestion. Serena nodded, and grabbed a pokeball at her waist, sending it upwards. Primarina appeared suddenly and cried out with a shrill voice, attracting all attention to her, all while quieting the lobby entirely. Even outside, things seemed to have settled down.

"Okay, everyone, I know the news on Nova Town is very upsetting," Serena spoke, earning rapt attention from each person there. "However, we're Performers. There's no time to be down about this, okay? People are hurting, and right now, it's our job to help them get better and get through this. I plan on heading to Nova Town with some aid supplies. Who wants to go with me? It won't be easy."

"I'll go!" Bonnie yelled out from her location, still near the phones. She looked to be feeding Dedenne a cookie while walking over. When she stopped, her hands flew behind her head and she grinned cheekily. Serena wanted to roll her eyes at her friend's ever-energetic personality, but soon considered it a boon.

"I'll go, too! We have to help them!" called one girl from the crowd. She was soon joined by quite a few others that seemed eager to help out. It was a start, at the very least, while Aria approached Nurse Joy and began speaking with her carefully. In no time at all, many of the girls, a good score of them, had gathered around Serena.

"All right," Serena said, flashing a smile at all of them to encourage those collected. "Now, remember, this may not be a performance, but it's very important. Whatever did happen there, these people will want the help, and it may be dangerous to go there. I want you and your Pokémon to be prepared for anything and  _always_  remain in groups of two or three, you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" called one of the girls, her eyes shining with admiration. Serena sent an extra smile in her direction, which helped to embolden the girl.

"Good. Now, go get changed into working clothes. I'll be along outside when Aria and I have arranged transportation and supplies," Serena told them. They all rapidly agreed and moved off to an area where they could all change their clothes. Only Bonnie lingered, already wearing her typical traveling clothes. Now that there were less girls to look disturbed, Bonnie was suddenly wearing a somewhat worried expression on her face. "Is there something wrong, Bonnie?"

"Mm, not really," Bonnie answered, giving a shrug. Serena didn't quite believe that, though, especially when the girl's eyes flicked over to the television screen in the lobby. "Who do you think did it? And why now?"

It was a rather perceptively mature question that came from her, and it wasn't one that had escaped Serena's mind. The explosion, especially in a place like Nova Town, had  _not_  been natural in the slightest. It had been, in all likelihood, an out and out assault. Bonnie's question held merit to it, especially her second one.  _Why now?_  Why would whoever had attacked Nova Town attack it  _now_ , of all times? The Champion Tournament could have been a reason, but then, why hadn't whatever villain was on the move done so earlier?

It was yet another reason to get to Nova Town posthaste: perhaps they could also know the identity of their attacker.

"I don't know, Bonnie. Why don't I leave you in charge of that when we get there?" Serena added with a little wink to her. Bonnie laughed and wore a little smirk on her face, digging into her bag, pulling out her own updated Pokédex.

"You hear that backup Rotom? You better help me investigate," Bonnie prodded to the computer program that had been her companion on her journeys.

"Rotom is the perfect investigator, with countless probability algorithms to run," it said proudly. Bonnie just rolled her eyes and shut her Pokédex off again before it could say more. Even a computer program that wasn't an  _actual_ Pokémon could still annoy her, it appeared. Knowing that she was in good hands, Serena turned once more to Aria and approached her.

"Nurse Joy is calling every favor she has in, including police helicopters and supplies from other Centers around the city. It shouldn't take too long to coordinate it all," was the pinkette's explanation for all that was being handled. "I'll handle things here, try to get in further contact with the League, and send more supplies if you or anywhere else needs it, Serena. Sound good?"

"Perfect," Serena admitted with a loud breath. "And if Ash calls…?"

"I'll direct him your way," Aria added with a chuckle. Serena nodded, though she couldn't shake the sudden foreboding she'd felt at asking that. Nevertheless, she once more thanked Aria and decided to walk off to where she'd sent the other girls, in order to get to changing into her usual daily clothes: little more than an updated version of the clothes she'd worn in Kalos.

At some point, Miette and Shauna had entered back into the changing rooms, neither of them saying a word. It seemed like they had been filled in by Aria about what was going on, especially with Shauna offering her a one-armed hug. Miette just looked sharpened and focused, like she was thinking of contacting someone, herself, but was too busy looking elsewhere. No words were shared between the three women as Serena grabbed her bag and left the room, making quick steps to the outside of the building, where the gaggle of girls was gathered. They seemed to have already formed their groups, and just in time, it seemed.

Helicopters emblazoned with the local Lumiose Police emblem were arriving, seeming to be able to carry groups of four or five, along with the supplies that were arriving by truck from the Centers around the city. Serena quickly helped in filling the aerial vehicles up and apportioning the groups. Thankfully, due to the urgency, none of it took very long to make happen and before they all knew it, Serena was in the first helicopter, alongside Bonnie, to take flight.

"Miss Serena, do you have anything you want us to do?" asked one of the girls sitting across from her. Serena recognized her as the girl she'd met some years back in Santalune City, waiting for Ash. She was certain her name was Emmy.

"What I want you to do is deliver these right to the Pokémon Center and do whatever Nurse Joy tells you, okay?"

"You wanna lend them your costume?" Bonnie asked quietly, but with a snicker, relaxing calmly in her seat. Serena glared at the girl; the older she got, the snarkier she got with it. "I'm sticking with  _you_ , so there's no getting rid of me."

"Whatever it is, focus on the citizens and Pokémon, okay?" Serena continued on, deciding to ignore Bonnie's silly remarks. "They're the most important, so always remember…"

"Smile!" the girls cheered out. Serena laughed a little, bringing some lightness to their group. It was a guiding light that had been passed down between the Performers of her generation and the next, wanting to give smiles to everyone. Serena only hoped that would help the town a little, even though she knew of at least three people it could help. For that moment, though, she soaked in the lightness.

It was the last bit of it they had as Nova Town appeared, its desolated buildings coming ever closer. Only the square and Pokémon Center seemed to still have pieces standing…well, not if one didn't count ripped up cobblestones everywhere.

Serena had to make herself breathe a little, trying to remember the sight of the town as it once was, rather than the hell that was before her. Houses were leveled, buildings were crushed, and what looked like walkways through the town were reduced to piles of the mottled debris. Only the lake looked relatively untouched, but considering it still bore the remnant of the incident there so long ago, that was hardly any solace.

"The school, too…" Bonnie exhaled, her eyes drawn to the outside of the helicopter. The transport was already lowering, searching for a place to touch down nicely when Serena saw just what Bonnie was talking about. The school truly was decimated, though it looked like some students were there, using their own Pokémon to move things aside and clean up the wreckage. "The whole place looks scorched…"

"Ne…" Dedenne said with a tone of melancholy no one would have expected from the Antenna Pokémon. Serena reached over and patted the little one on his head.

"Don't worry. We'll help them out," she said confidently. The other girls took reassurance from that, though Serena didn't admit how much uncertainty and fear there was in her chest, waiting to spill out. The sound of the helicopter rotors blasted out as their own finally touched down and Serena hopped out, making sure to not stumble on the blown-up pavement. She thanked the pilot and immediately led their small group, each of them taking a pack of supplies, towards the Pokémon Center. Their helicopter took off in order to let the next land.

"It seems lively," Emmy said, her head swiveling back and forth. Sure enough, there were some people out and about, looking to try and repair some things. Not that much looked like it could be repaired easily. Serena sent those workers a flash of a smile, a couple townspeople noticing and recognizing her, but she didn't take her eyes off of the approaching Center. Now that she was closer, even that building looked heavily damaged. The roof seemed to have been ripped off, with some townspeople stretching a tarp over the top of it as best as they could, while Pokémon and students from the school were administering treatment.

"Serena? !" The loud, warbling voice that was Bethany's caught Serena's attention and she looked towards the entrance to the Center. Standing there was the turquoise-haired woman, holding tight to her daughter and looking beyond relieved. The honey blonde continued forward, urging the other girls along into the building as she stopped in front of Bethany. The little girl in her arms smiled up at Serena and she smiled back, feeling her stomach clench a little, gripping at it for a second. "I…I wasn't expecting you here."

"I couldn't stand around and do nothing once I'd seen the reports," Serena pointed out. Her other hand came out and poked little Thea on the nose before looking up to her friend. "You guys have had a rough time of it all, huh?"

"You mean, you…" Serena tilted her head, looking at Bethany curiously. The woman shook her head, looking as though she'd swallowed something nasty. "A-anyway, you're here to help?"

"We'll do what we can," Serena affirmed, holding up her own boxes of materials. Bonnie did the same, giving a rather toothy grin to the mother. Bethany sighed out, seeming conflicted, but she led them into the Center nonetheless.

"Thanks. We're trying to get back on our feet here, but two attacks in two days really hampers that," Bethany told her. That was news to Serena; she had thought it had only been a single attack, but to find out it was two…

"But why would anyone want to attack you guys?" Bonnie asked. Their little trio had made their way inside the Center, and the lemon blonde put her supplies on the counter. More girls were now arriving and Serena looked to all the supplies being brought in, finding the different refreshments and such. Those would be helpful for all the students working at the school, she figured.

"You've got me," Bethany answered. "I…wasn't exactly around for either attack. Chris got hurt in the first one and the second one…"

"It was Team Rocket," Rocky answered in the woman's stead. Serena looked over to him, seeing that he was gripping at his side, but standing straight and proud, even if that was associated with a grimace on his face. "And not those bumbling idiots that you all know."

"Of course not!" Bonnie defended their most persistent trio. Even Dedenne and Squishy seemed to agree. "They might be idiots, but they would never hurt people like  _this_. Petty theft? Sure. Stupid schemes with robots? Yeah. But they'd never…well, not this."

"Team Rocket, as an organization, might, though," Serena countered, her mind casting itself backward into her own thoughts. She had never had any major (or minor, if she really considered it) interactions with any Team Rocket operatives beyond Jessie, James and Meowth, though her rival and companions had been considerably less active of late. She had to wonder how much merit there was to Rocky's words, though she hardly doubted them, even if she voiced the question. "How do you know for certain?"

"The guy said it…Tolbert, I think he said his name was," Rocky answered. He removed his hand from his side and remained standing. His gritted teeth, though, said that it remained an effort to do so. A soft purring sounded out near the man's feet and Serena looked down to see a Meowstic there, looking forlorn. It looked oddly familiar, and Bonnie was the first to point that out.

"Since when do you have a Meowstic? Looks a lot like Astrid's," the girl pointed out, throwing her hands behind her head. Serena watched Rocky, and then Bethany, as the two shared a gaze with one another. A sudden sickness bubbled back up in her stomach. Her hand began to quiver. "But Astrid was at the Tournament, so-"

"It is Astrid's," Rocky said, and his gaze moved downward. He refused to look at them now, and though Serena couldn't explain it, the sickness increased tenfold.

"Rocky, Bethany…why is Astrid's Meowstic here?" Serena asked. Bethany looked away, as though the answer wasn't for her to say. Rocky, in his case, took a far more proactive approach to the whole entire situation: he started walking away from the Pokémon Center entirely, even as it grew livelier with the arrivals. Serena looked at Bonnie, who only offered a shrug, and the two reached for a case of refreshments, following him out. As the honey blonde looked back, she saw Bethany clutching tightly to her daughter, eyes closed.

The sickness inside continued to intensify.

Rocky said nothing, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked, turning in towards the "road" that led to the school. It almost made him reminiscent of Christopher, and Serena wondered if his seeming absence was the reason for the nausea she felt. There could have been another solid reason, but she was sure that neither of those two were the reason for it. No, there was something Rocky didn't want to say…at least not in the Pokémon Center.

"Mr. Rocky, look, we got the library cleaned up! Er…what's left of it, at least," a student called out from nearby, grinning with another boy and girl. They looked extremely excited that they had managed to clear the debris from an area. Their gazes slid back and saw Serena and Bonnie approaching. "Ah…it's Bonnie! You were totally awesome in last year's Kanto League! Runner-up!"

"You guys are fans?" Bonnie asked cheekily as the group of three all swarmed her excitedly. Rocky didn't stop for that, nodding brusquely at the other students in the area, a group of girls tittering excitedly at the sight of Serena. Seeing that, she grabbed her refreshments and tossed them to the girls, who caught them excitedly.

"Spread them around and share! There's more here, okay!" Serena called over to them, placing the case down on a flat patch of grass that wasn't covered in the school's remains. Bonnie got her own message from that, and thanked the students around her own age before excusing herself to join up with Serena. She looked positively glowing from the encounter. "Must be nice to have fans, huh?"

"I don't mind it," Bonnie admitted. The expressions on Dedenne's and Squishy's faces indicated that they felt the same exact way. Of course, Bonnie was always bound to have fans as such an expert trainer, even if she still hadn't beaten Ash to this day. Her rival, on the other hand…

Rocky suddenly stopped, and Serena saw where he was standing, near the graves that held Dalton's body and an empty space where that man's daughter should have been. It looked untouched compared to the rest of the town, as though whatever explosion had leveled the town and nearly obliterated it had been directed to not touch this place. It made Serena's eyes look to the unmarked grave. Someone was standing near it, almost blending in to the gray lifelessness of the forest and land beyond, only made plain by a Pokémon at their side. Regardless of that, Serena focused all her attention on Rocky.

"So, what's going on, exactly?" Bonnie asked first. "I mean, you said Team Rocket attacked, and Astrid's Meowstic is here and…wait…you two aren't…oh my!"

"Bonnie…" Serena almost growled out at the girl. She sent a stern expression her companion's way, which Bonnie grinned at. That grin quickly dropped at the sight of Rocky tightening his fist angrily. Serena steadied her breaths.

"Astrid…Astrid was here." Rocky looked positively furious as he spoke. He raised his fist upward as he said this and then brought it crashing down, stopping it before it hit Dalton's grave. "She was there when it…when he…I couldn't do anything…"

"Rocky, try speaking more simply. I'm pretty sure neither of us know what's going on," Serena told him, each syllable feeling like a struggle to contain that sickness and trepidation. He lowered his fist and turned around with the most distraught expression she'd seen on his face.

"They came here, wanting to help. Then that guy, Tolbert, blew up the Center, and they faced him. They…they won…but something stopped them. I wanted to help, but Beth grabbed me back, insisted we protect the Center. I could hear it, though. I could hear everything. How he said he was part of Team Rocket and they were 'making a new world'. Then he blew everything to hell, including them." Serena swallowed now, closing her eyes as the nausea reached its peak. Then, Rocky answered the unasked question. "Astrid, Seamus…and Ash and Clemont."

"Big brother? !" Bonnie asked, the unadulterated fear creeping into her voice. Serena just felt the sickness burst and she bent over, vomiting on to the ground while she fell to her knees. Bonnie called for her, but there was a sharp ringing in her ears. Ash had been here. Ash had fought here. He hadn't told her. And now he was…now he was…

"N-no…" she gasped out, feeling herself retch from the emotion inside her. "He's not."

"Serena, there's no way. He'd have to move faster than lightning for any one of them to have escaped that," Rocky told her, his own voice shaky. He didn't want to share the news any more than she wanted to hear it. But she didn't want to believe it.

Surely, if Ash had been obliterated in the way Nova Town was, she would have felt it. There would have been  _something_  to tell her that the man she loved with all her soul had perished. That she hadn't, didn't it mean he was alive? He wouldn't let an explosion do him in; not when he'd already been through so much.  _Then why isn't he here?_

"You're wrong!" Bonnie protested, shouting. The loud voice pulsed and thrummed in Serena's head, and she had no choice but to vomit once again. "My brother isn't dead! You need to get your eyesight checked, old man!"

"Denenenenene!"

"Wolololo!" Squishy trilled, as well. The girl had balled her fists, though that was all Serena saw at the edge of her blurred vision. Her nausea was coming under control, and she felt like she could breathe again, even if her hand reached up and clutched at her chest tightly. Soft footsteps padded over the grass as Bonnie stepped towards Rocky angrily.

"Don't  _ever_  say something like that! Clemont is stronger than that! He'd die and come back to kick everyone's ass. Plus, he still…he has to marry Korrina…still…" Bonnie looked to be shaking now, as though the reality of at least the words was setting in. She was shaking her head rapidly and Serena finally got her breathing under control.

"Bonnie," she rasped out, finding her voice after the retching, "it's okay."

"Serena…" Bonnie expressed, and she could hear the tears in the blonde's voice. The Performer lifted her head towards her longtime companion and managed to force a smile on to her lips, searching deep down for the slight spark of hope that Ash was alive.

"I'm sure…it'll be okay," she finally spoke. "They're made of sterner stuff than that. We have to believe that. Remember what our motto is?"

Bonnie didn't answer right away, as Serena drew herself back to her feet and quickly embraced her. Rocky watched a moment before jerking a bit and turning towards the direction of the unmarked grave. Finally, with a choked voice, Bonnie answered, "No giving up."

"That's right. No giving up. How will we ever face Ash and Clemont when they come back if we gave up now?" Serena asked, drawing back and placing her forehead to Bonnie's. She was feeling a little bit better now, the ringing in her ears having subsided. Now that it had, it also made her more aware of the swishing of the grass, and what sounded like a soft beating of wings. At this, Serena turned her head to see the figure from earlier, very clearly a woman, and her Altaria approach.

"Everything all right?" the woman asked, maintaining a distance. Serena fully straightened up now, looking at the newcomer. She was a rather striking woman, with auburn hair that flowed down, as she wore a black coat that was unfettered by the breeze. Beyond her, at the unmarked grave, was a set of flowers: burning red carnations that looked lonely there. However, the woman retained her distance, smiling at their group of three. However, the longer Serena looked, the more she realized how entirely vapid the smile was.

"Yes. Just a momentary shock."

"I'd imagine. Losing a loved one…family…it can rip the soul raw." The woman's words made Serena swallow, retaining her smile, yet bringing her hand down to her belt and one of the pokeballs that rested there. The woman cast her gaze upwards a moment, before looking back to the grave, a mystifying expression adorning her face. "Tell me…did you know him, once upon a time?"

"Him?" Bonnie asked. Serena flicked her gaze to the teenaged girl, noticing that her body language was just as defensive. Rocky seemed it, too, though he was stepping back, rather than holding his ground. Serena's hand was decisive, now fully gripping her pokeball.

"Hm…I guess so. Shame. Altaria, Dragon Pulse." It was like a flash of lightning, and Serena acted in that same flash. As the Dragon type before her reared back and sent a purple draconic beam soaring out at them, Serena instantly called out her prized Pokémon. No words or orders were given, but in those split seconds, Braixen sent a Flamethrower roaring out to collide viciously with the beam. Bonnie was on the move, too.

"Squishy, dog form, come on!" the younger trainer cried, pushing her palm forward. Squishy hopped out of the bag, glowing green as numerous green cells flew out into his small form, transforming him into the familiar dog form that howled. "You use Dragon Pulse, too!"

"Rhyperior, let's-"

"Rocky, stay back! Get to the town! You guys have been hit twice, a third time is-" Serena's command died in her mouth. Altaria was soaring in, and Braixen twirled her wand around to slam it onto the Humming Pokémon in order to slow it down. The Dragon Pulse from Squishy fired forward, slamming into Altaria and sending it careening off for a moment. However, it wasn't the only thing on the move. At the same time that it was acting, the woman was running forward, an almost familiar, manic grin upon her face. Serena acted on instinct, flipping back.

"Aha," the woman gave a slight laugh to the air. She nearly stopped, skidding along the grass as she brought her fist crashing upwards. The air rippled with the force, and without even registering the full contact of the striking fist, Serena felt as though a radiating jab of pain suddenly slammed into her chest. In fact, the blow was so sharp, it felt like multiple hands were slamming into her until she was flung back and landed upon the ground with a sickeningly audible thud. The woman then swept her leg out, moving so swiftly that it seemed like she'd only drawn just close enough to send Bonnie and Rocky also sprawling back. They landed with loud "oof"s. "Draco Meteor."

"Altaaaaaaar!" The Altaria recovered from Squishy's strike, looking completely undamaged in the moment as it rose upwards, glowing a bright orange. That orange glow traveled up to its mouth and it fired. Serena tried to move as the orange orb split into cascading meteors, but she winced at the new pain smarting in her chest. With just one strike, despite their quick actions, the woman had managed to counter them effectively, at least long enough to get a second powerful blast off.

"Wh-why are you…?" Rocky demanded, but he grunted, clasping at his side once again. He wouldn't be able to move, and there would be no way for Serena to intercept. The woman looked at him with lidded eyes.

"I wanted to know something. This answered it," she responded cryptically. Serena moved to get up.

"Braixen, Psyshock!"

"Are you with Team Rocket? !" Bonnie demanded at the same time. Braixen struck, swiping both claws and sending the purple streaks outward and sailing for the falling meteors. They twisted and squiggled through the air before impacting and exploding against some of the plummeting stars. It wasn't enough, though. There were too many, while the woman placed a coy finger to her lips.

"May-be," she answered Bonnie. "But can you stay long enough to figure it out?"

"They will if I have anything to say about it," roared an angry voice…no, beyond that…it was flat out  _infuriated_. Serena pushed herself up, only to have a hand push her right back down. A shadow flitted through the air, slicing across the meteors and sending them to explode in a cluster of glittering fireworks. At the same moment, a blistering hot water stream blasted towards the woman, herself flipping outside of its attack range with amazing dexterity, leaving it to burn into the ground. The pressure was removed from Serena's head as a crunching was heard on the grass. "And just as well, if you've anything to do with what happened here, I will destroy you, down to your very bones."

Serena finally looked up and saw the man standing in front of her, his Samurott at his side. It had happened all too quickly, but Serena could already feel the spark of an ignition in the air.

Aidan was here, and he looked ready to kill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Whew, there was a bit going on in this chapter. This was probably one of the hardest chapters to write, even if I started finding my groove again. The thing about this story is all the start and stop with the characters, but now that all the main characters are into the plot, it will only pick up pace from here. Plus, the ending just brings in a lot of tension and mystery what with the woman and a very furious Aidan. It's time for this to get exciting!
> 
> Now that we're into the meat of the story, I hope it just gets better and better for you. Until that next time, though, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	5. A Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always nice to see readers trying to figure out what's going on when that's what I've intended. There may be answers ahead, but we still have a long road ahead. Time for Chapter 5!

Chapter 5

A Fury

The remnants of the meteors sprinkled down on to the grass, flickering out of their tiny embers as they made contact with its surface to leave what remained virtually untouched. Serena's chest heaved, watching as the older man stepped forward. Aidan wasn't walking with his usual gait; no hands tucked behind his back, no bookish looks of intelligence. All of those were replaced with a man wearing hard lines on his face, and his arms at his side. It was the first sign of just how much he was not playing around.

Nor was the woman.

"You took out Draco Meteor…impressive," she spoke, almost looking pleased. The meteor debris finished falling completely, the sky returning to its opalescent blue. Next to Serena, Bonnie was also trying to get up. Squishy was right in front of her, acting as a protector while Dedenne recovered as well, though Serena was more focused on the woman in front of them.

"Not all that hard," Aidan spoke, though his tone said he wasn't looking to have any notion of small talk in this encounter. There were some noises in the vicinity, and Serena wanted to guess at the fact that the students had caught sight of the battle, beginning to flee, though she didn't dare tear her eyes away from the scene to confirm. "Now, answer me, filth."

"Answer you? You've hardly asked a question," came the woman's taunting remark. Serena's eyes narrowed, and she tried to stand, but Aidan's body language shifted just a little. It was screaming at her to stay put in that very moment. So, all she could do was stare at the woman's upturned smirk, her auburn hair curling at the ends as the blond walked forward yet another step.

"Rocky," Bonnie hissed to her senior next to her. He turned his head, supporting himself on Rhyperior as Squishy closed ranks. "Can you get to the town or something?"

"Don't know if I'll have time for that, squirt." Serena had to agree, observing the two forces that seemed about to collide with one another. Already, though, she was looking for an opening, either to aid in the dam that was about to break loose or to escape and make sure no further damage was done to Nova Town in its wake.

"Why are you here? What is your purpose? To cause further rancor and death?" Aidan asked harshly. The shadow that had cut through the meteors reappeared now, this time materializing itself next to Samurott, enough for Serena to see what it looked like: it was Banette. Her face scrunched in confusion. "Did you blow this town half to hell? Did you kill my son?

"Did you kill my best friend? !"

Serena's eyes widened, almost sending another shock of sickness through her veins, but she held on. It wasn't just  _any_  normal Banette. It was  _Lionel's_  Banette. The stark realization of Aidan's words slammed upon them, even if Rocky seemed completely nonplussed by that exact phrase. Bonnie, however, wasn't.

"Lionel…" she gasped out, halfway to trying to stand up. The woman's expression was un-telling, her eyes closing a bit to appear like a smug, lidded expression. "He's…no…not…not Mr. Lionel…"

"So what if I did?" the woman finally responded. A question being returned to the initial question clearly did not amuse Aidan, whose face etched itself further in anger, like a palpable aura that flared around him. "Granting, I had no direct hand in it. But are you just going to go after everyone involved?"

"No, I will not. So, just answer me this: why did your Team Rocket attack Nova Town? Why did you kill my friend?" Aidan asked one last time. His voice cracked at the end, now running out of any sense of patience. Above, Altaria hovered back down to a reasonable level, regarding each opponent with the same lidded eyes as its trainer. The woman smiled now, but it was just as vapid as before.

"Take the win from me, and perhaps I'll answer." The tension ratcheted further. Serena found it almost hard to breathe, but her eyes were still flicking everywhere, trying to find a moment to exploit.

"Take a win…?" Aidan questioned. His hand was shaking, and he raised it up, grasping on to his glasses. He removed them from his face, his steely eyes shining as he crumpled them in his hands. "I'll take your  _life_. Aqua Jet."

"Mura!" Samurott barked out, its large body surrounding itself with water. One moment it was there, and then the next, it was firing off towards Altaria, the Formidable Pokémon suspended in midair with a torrent of water. The woman flipped back, out of range, as Altaria descended in front of her, like a layer of protection.

"Hyper Beam," she said, barely even raising her voice with the command. Serena looked over to Rocky and Bonnie, both looking like they wanted to join in on the action, but lacking the opportunity. Altaria's tiny beak opened, yet from it fired a nearly pitch-black Hyper Beam that was aimed straight at Aidan. Before it could even impact, Lionel's Banette was moving, throwing up a honeycomb shield that completely absorbed the attack. Serena quickly shuffled over to Bonnie's side.

"Don't get involved," she whispered, placing a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. Bonnie looked to her like she was absolutely mad in that moment.

"But she…Lionel…" Serena understood. At Bonnie's words, the young trainer's body had begun to shake rapidly. It must have been too much for her, first to hear the news about her brother and then about the man that had traveled with her once, been like an uncle to her in some sense. It was a shock to Serena, as well, one that made her want to gag and retch just as before. Yet there was also an undeniable truth at play in that moment.

"I know…but I have  _never_  seen Aidan look like this. He's always controlled, and if you step in the middle of…" Serena's words trailed off as Samurott slammed into Altaria, driving it back, before pulling away from the Dragon type with his quick movements. Bonnie was shaking with her own anger, wearing the same look as Ash whenever some atrocity was done. There would be no way to stop her, even if interfering in what looked like such a high skill battle that was coupled with rather high stakes would be suicide. That left only one option. "Follow my lead, Bonnie. You, too, Rocky."

"Me?" the young man asked, and Serena offered a nod.

"Just watch and wait. No rushing in, and we'll see what we can do to help," Serena insisted to the pair. Bonnie's body language said she was ready to disobey those decisions, but she still nodded her head.

"Dragon Pulse."

"Scald. Banette, Phantom Force," Aidan called. He wasn't making a single movement on his own, and Serena had to truly wonder why. Was it because of Altaria's peerless defense of its trainer? Or was it because he had already sensed, unlike the three of them, that the woman was peerless in her own manner of defense?

Banette disappeared silently, it's eyes gleaming with anger. Samurott landed upon the grassy battlefield, skidding back as the water vanished from around it. It opened its mouth as Altaria let off a screech, its own beak likewise opening. The familiar draconic shape emerged, gleaming with purple intensity as it fired out for Samurott. In the meantime, heated water emerged from Samurott's mouth in a torrent of steam that seemed so hot, it made Serena begin to sweat, even from her distance. The two beam-like attacks made their way on a collision course for one another.

"Hold on!" Serena shouted. She moved to grab hold of Bonnie, but the lemon blonde already grabbed on to Squishy, who dug deep into the ground. Serena did the same as her friend as the attacks collided. Steam exploded around the area from the clash, and the air felt like there was an explosion ripping through it. Serena looked up in time to see the Dragon Pulse break through, slamming into Samurott and pushing it back. Then, Banette appeared behind the Humming Pokémon and slashed down on it, almost sending it crashing to the ground. Altaria righted itself.

"Draco Meteor!" the woman said, her eyes snapping open. It looked eerie in its own way, as though pulled by strings to an unsightly position. It sent a shudder down Serena's neck as Altaria raised up, the familiar, burgeoning orange glow crawling from its chest to its beak before blasting outwards to the air.

"Intercept with Pursuit," Aidan made sure to direct Banette. It was such a simple command for the explosion of meteors that burst from the orb and spread in multiple directions. Banette flew through the air from its location, zipping from meteor to meteor with massive speed, slicing across them. Through the haze of the meteors' destruction, Serena peered. She let go of Squishy and saw a figure, standing beyond the haze. No…not one figure…there seemed to be three…

"Of course…Braixen, Psyshock, now!" Serena screamed to her faithful Pokémon. Bonnie snapped a look to her and seemed to understand it was time to act.

"Dragon Pulse!" Squishy barked, and as Braixen danced forward, sending her purple streaks from her claws, the legendary sent a roaring dragon from his own maw. They arced upwards, aiming for the remaining meteors that Banette wasn't getting to. They collided, exploding and obliterating the threat before them. Seconds later, Banette had vanished yet again, and Serena took a moment to understand just what Aidan was moving for.

"Rocky, Bonnie, we'll need to surround her," Serena whispered to them both. Aidan, despite his seeming rage at facing the woman before them, cocked his head, indicating that he was listening. It really  _had_  been all part of his plan. He may have been fueled with rage beyond the boiling point, but he had retained all his intelligence that made him the brains of ARC. "Now, Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Braaaaaixen!" the Fox Pokémon cried. From her wand lit a spark that erupted into a powerful flame. The flame swept along the grass, lighting it on fire and cutting off one side of escape for the woman. Bonnie and Rocky were acting, too. Squishy howled, the land beginning to churn and bubble with stones, while Rhyperior slammed the ground and sent numerous other stones racing out to close the back exit for the woman. Aidan was still on the attack.

"Aqua Jet, once more!" he shouted, now growing bolder and louder in the face of the changed battle. Serena looked to Braixen, both drawing to their full heights, and giving her a nod. Braixen ran forward swiftly, bouncing into the air to reach the other side of the battlefield. Samurott was veiled in water and shot off for Altaria again.

"Sky Attack!" the woman shouted. She moved a hand upwards, clenching her fist, punching it forward as a wicked smirk crossed over her face.

"Riiiiiiia!" Altaria sang out, its body glowing golden as it soared backwards. As the golden glow eclipsed its entire body, it shot off for the attacking Samurott. Both grunted and screamed as they collided in midair, breaking off and then aiming for yet another collision in the sky. Rain and smoke burst outwards from the collision, raining over all of them. Braixen reached the other side and plunged her wand into the ground. Fire spread from it, finishing off the blocking of all access to escape routes for the woman.

"Hyper Beam," was the woman's command now. To Serena's surprise, she didn't seem all that concerned at being trapped in, or perhaps she was completely lost in the battle. Altaria broke off, calling the pure black beam to her beak and firing off.

"Circumvent and Megahorn!" Aidan roared. Now, he finally took a step forward, running for the woman. The three shadowy figures from earlier moved inward. Samurott aimed inward, its horn glowing a bright white, aiming for one of Altaria's wings. The Formidable Pokémon appeared to pick up speed, aiming even more directly, only for Altaria to turn. The Hyper Beam snapped to the side, slamming into Samurott. The water broke apart, ending the Water type's attack and sending it crashing through the air, on to the line of stones. "Now!"

"Net-et-ette…" the cackling, almost chilling, voice of Banette emerged. Serena looked to the woman now, noticing that Banette had materialized once more, a shadowy claw held near to the woman's neck, like it was threatening to snap it off. There was a small jangle from Aidan's hands and Serena saw part of the charm bracelet that once belonged to Lionel, clasped in his hand in threat.

"Altar…?" Altaria chirped out, drawing Serena's attention upwards as well. A Mothim was behind it, while a Doublade floated right near it, its blades crossed and poised for action. Sure enough, as Serena's eyes came down, she noticed the very familiar forms of Tau, Theta and Chi surrounding the woman.

"Now, answers, or I keep my promise," Aidan demanded, fully striding forward to face the woman. She cocked her head slightly, her once more lidded eyes feigning any interest she had in the situation. Serena noticed her fists clenching almost imperceptibly.

"You haven't won yet, you know," the auburn-haired woman pointed out, her lips turning upward into a rather Cheshire grin. "Which means I'm not obligated to answer any questions…but would you like a freebie?"

"Bane…" Banette hissed out, almost pressing in towards the woman, though her neck moved a fraction of an inch away from it. The Marionette Pokémon did not look pleased, and from the way Bonnie was still shaking next to Serena, she knew it was for the reason that its trainer and partner was dead.

"You'll give me every information I want, and perhaps I'll spare you. I'll just throw you and your comrades into a hellhole you'll never get out of," Aidan said sharply, holding the keystone on the bracelet higher than before. The woman's eyes seemed to grow cold, the grin dripping off her face.

"You know nothing of hell, Aidan," the woman said coldly. Aidan's lips tightened, and his eyes went with it as he considered the woman. It seemed like he was searching her for any sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite notice it, no matter how unsettled he looked in that moment. Although, Serena was more pulled in towards the woman's words, and what she could have possibly meant. After the moment passed, however, Aidan tossed out any notion of consideration for her words and stepped forward yet again.

"What are you and your comrades in Team Rocket planning? Where can I find the one called Tolbert?" he demanded. The woman continued watching him with cold eyes, and eventually, she sighed liberally.

"Perhaps in several places. Connect the dots." It was a vague answer, one that made Serena look to Bonnie and Rocky, who looked as bamboozled by the response as she felt. Aidan's eyes gleamed, and Serena wondered if he knew what she meant. "But what a shame…maybe he was right all this time."

"Don't think like that. As long as we do, we will falter, and there is no time for that now." The new voice took Serena by surprise, sounding ghostly, almost like it wasn't even there. However, Braixen drew close to her, holding her wand tightly, as though primed for a battle. That communicated that there  _was_  someone or something there, and it was just a matter of finding that person.

"My apologies. It was just a momentary lapse…Alastair." Serena acted at the same moment as Rocky and Aidan. They weren't the only ones, as Chi's own voice cut through the air with the same command they all screamed (only Serena tossed a pokeball out at the same time).

"PROTECT!" Sylveon emerged, her feelers whipping around as Banette and Doublade pulled away from their targets. Rhyperior just stomped forward. As one force, the quartet erected honeycomb shields that encapsulated all of the members of ARC and their own little group that was in the area.

It had been just in time, too. There was a loud sound, like the stones being blasted apart, or just sliced into ribbons with extreme force. The attack made the air ripple and attempt to push them backwards, though they were protected from the rocketing debris thanks to the Protect in the air. It created a dust cloud that plumed upwards and concealed the woman for but a moment, all while dousing the flames Braixen had made. Serena kept staring ahead, not affected by the particles in the air, and watched as a new figure emerged next to their opponent.

"It took you quite some time to get here," the woman spoke, and the new arrival responded.

"My apologies, but I had to ensure that our forces in Hoenn and Sinnoh were moving the way they should. It took more time than expected, even with our resources and travel methods. I think I may even have to return to one of the sites to ensure it goes as well as it did here, particularly the base in Sinnoh," Alastair responded, his voice smooth, yet a little biting, almost like a strong coffee. It was a strange analogy to make in her mind, but one that Serena felt worked, even if his appearance didn't quite fit that image. As the dust finished, the honey blonde could tell he was a lean man, evident due to him not wearing a cloak like his compatriot was. Instead, he was dressed in a trench coat, flapping about in the wind caused by his own attack as he placed something inside one of its pockets. At his side was an Aegislash, unsheathed and deadly.

"Oh, well, it's not like I'm angry," the woman insisted, shrugging a little. "The overall plan is more important. We can't disappoint Giovanni, now can we?"

"Of course not. But no worries, everything's in order. Shall we make our own exit back to headquarters?" Alastair noted, holding out a hand to the woman. She didn't take it, and sighed once more. Her companion seemed unfettered, as though this was a common ritual between them.

"Naturally. I suppose we've been doing individual things too long. Don't want him getting suspicious for no reason. Besides, with the original initiative failing, perhaps Doctor Zager can help us locate our 'Pokémon Master' a little faster. I authorized the change but, presuming things are as we expect, it's always good to try and stick to the plan, even if we're flexible," she responded. Serena's body tensed, her fists clenching. She stepped forward as the shields dropped.

"Are you talking about Ash?" she yelled, running for the duo. At her side was Aidan, himself having the same look on his face as she felt inside. Seamus had been here with Ash, and there was no doubt that the possibility of which the woman was speaking had set him off. Braixen was with Serena, her wand pointing forward, like she was ready to attack. "Is he alive? What did you-?"

Her body froze, stuck in a single location. Aidan's had as well, and they weren't alone. Each one of the people in the area, and their Pokémon, seemed to be stuck, though they could move their upper bodies, even if their legs seemed rooted to the ground. The sun was setting overhead, casting long shadows in the golden glow, and it made the two opponents before them look as if they were fire. The woman grimaced a bit, looking to her companion, who nodded.

"Our apologies, but we've no idea of what's happened to your husband. Tolbert can be over-enthusiastic, though I wouldn't worry," Alastair said, cocking his head to Aegislash. It withdrew, snapping into its shield as the two turned away. "Everything will be just fine. Now, if your fun is done, let's make sure to take care of things before them."

"Naturally. Again, my apologies, Alastair." Whether Alastair accepted the apology or not seemed to be irrelevant. There was a flash, and Serena found her eyes drooping, sleep wanting to claim her. Aidan struggled against it, taking his lower body and beating it against his legs, though they yet refused to move. The shadows lengthened, and Serena felt like she only saw them melding together as her vision blurred…and then they didn't, indicating the regained clarity in her eyes. Her legs gave out, sending her stumbling to the grass as the last bit of the flames flickered down. Aidan did the same, each of them released from whatever hold there'd been on them.

Alastair and the mysterious woman were gone.

"Damn it…" Rocky grunted out, his voice laced with pain, likely from his earlier wound. Serena touched her hand to the ground, looking for where the two had disappeared to, but seeing nothing. "How did we let them get away?"

"I don't believe we had a choice," Tau's voice spoke up. Serena looked back at him and noticed that he was shaking his head. Skuntank was at his side, helping him up as he walked his way over to Aidan. "It seemed like she came here with an escort, and we just didn't sense it."

"Yes…both were quite skilled," Aidan admitted. He frowned, recalling Samurott and Banette at last and stowing the charm bracelet away inside a pocket of his. His fist appeared to shake inside of his pocket and he still looked as though he remained furious. "She played us for fools."

"But her information…" Theta pointed out. Aidan stopped shaking and nodded. Serena watched the interaction between Aidan and his remaining subordinates. They seemed to have some unspoken realization towards each other, and the honey blonde worked to try and understand what had been said between all of them there. As enigmatic as the woman was, she  _was_  still somewhat informative, Serena felt.

Bonnie precluded any chance to think or discuss it, in any case.

"Mr. Aidan…is…is it true…?" Aidan turned slowly to look at Bonnie, herself now clutching Dedenne and Squishy to her chest, the latter having changed back into his usual form. She had approached the man in a manner completely unlike her usual peppy self, eyes looking low to the ground. Behind her, Rocky spat on the grass, as if unamused that he'd been kicked around yet another time.

There was a moment of silence, like a bated breath that was just waiting to be exhaled. Serena swallowed, knowing what the answer to Bonnie would be, and so close on the heels of what she'd been told by Rocky.

"Yes." Serena closed her eyes as Bonnie gasped, bringing Dedenne and Squishy closer. They nestled into her chest, as if feeling the pain she was experiencing from those words. Seamus' father raised a hand up, closing his eyes and looking ashamed. He seemed about to rub the back of his head, but instead he approached Bonnie and leaned down just a little to match her height. "He went out with a fight. Protected us, and we, in turn, protected you."

"He…he did?" Bonnie asked, her voice quivering. It was the most vulnerable that Serena had ever heard her voice in all the years of knowing her, even after her torture at DARC's hands, or Rotom's death.

"Do you really think he'd go out any other way?" Aidan asked, tacking on a chuckle at the end to alleviate the clear emotional pain. At least, he attempted to.

"No, he wouldn't. Neither would Clemont…My big brother, I know he's out there somewhere," she said. Serena breathed out, glad that her friend, almost sister, wasn't taking this all so hard. She was holding on to the possibility that Clemont, and Ash, were truly out there, even if they didn't know where. There was still the possibility that maybe they had fallen, but the woman's words had somehow inspired confidence in Serena. "Was it her…?"

"No," was Tau's own definitive answer. He stepped closer, his usually slicked back hair all disheveled with a frown on his face. It was clear that whatever had happened to them had been crushing. "It was likely the one who blew this place up: Tolbert."

"Hey, boy, is Beth all right?" Theta barked at Rocky. The young man didn't seem to like being called a boy, but he nodded. Theta seemed relieved at that, but still must have held a sense of urgency in herself, since she turned with her husband and headed into the town proper. The lack of sound in that direction indicated that the students working at the broken school had ran at the sign of the battle.

"Tolbert…" Bonnie said, clenching her fists in anger. Serena reached out and placed a hand on the lemon blonde, calming her down. Rocky looked just as incensed as her, though.

"He wasn't the only one that attacked. I think that guy, Alastair, attacked us first," Rocky grunted out. He had long since returned Rhyperior and was even with them, his eyes sparking with an unbridled fury. "They made a total joke of us! They ruined our town!"

"Calm down," Tau sighed out, though it did little to halt Rocky's anger. There was something inside the young man's eyes that Serena saw: something that said he wanted to destroy Tolbert by himself. Aidan looked up to the clear blue sky and breathed in that direction.

"Alastair…" It wasn't said with familiarity, but there was a slight line of thought in his brain, if Serena's own observations were anything to go by. "His face seemed familiar, but I can't think of where…"

"Could it have been the reports on Team Rocket…?" Tau suggested. Aidan shook his head, lips twisting in thought.

"Not sure…it's something to look into, though."

"And what about everywhere else?" Serena asked, finally putting her own thoughts into the conversation. Aidan stopped exhaling and brought his head back down to look at her. "Her words…she said that we needed to connect the dots between multiple places. I know you figured out what she meant."

"It's just a guess, and it needs some confirmation." Serena wanted to argue with the older man, who was now placing his bent glasses back on his face. They looked out of place now, but after some slight adjustments, they seemed to sit decently there. It put her more at ease, but she still stood there adamantly for an answer which didn't seem to be coming.

"Miss Serena! Miss Serena!" The sudden voice of Emmy broke apart the tension in the group and returned them to the reality that they were in Nova Town. Fixing a smile back on to her face and pushing away any worries churning in her stomach, Serena turned towards the trio of approaching girls. "Some of the students came and got us, said you were…fighting someone…"

"Nah, nothing wrong!" Bonnie assured them with a grin. Whether it was plastered on for the sake of the other girls or not, it seemed to be enough to placate them, at least.

"Just a misunderstanding. Everything's fine now, right?" Serena's tone had dipped low, pressuring Aidan into nodding. The seemingly new leader of ARC shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk in the direction of the school. Rocky followed too, as if he wanted to remain attached to the man's side for a shot at striking back against their combined foes.

"You'll have to forgive Aidan," Tau said, drawing Serena's attention to him. "I think he's more affected by Lionel's death than he says and wants to handle matters personally."

"We don't have time for personal…not if Ash and the others…" She trailed off, biting her tongue to get her emotions in check, especially since the girls, led by Emmy, were nearly within non-yelling earshot. "If what she said is true, then we need to move before another Nova Town happens. Is it true that this is a plan from Team Rocket?"

"That's our guess. Tolbert said as much, and Aidan thinks it's some sort of bid for power by the organization. Create enough chaos with deaths and the power void will widen, allowing them to step in," Tau explained. Bonnie had split apart from the two of them now, obviously keeping one ear on their conversation as she reached the girls and slung her arms around the Performers. Serena stepped closer to Tau, feeling comfortable conversing with him. "The only thing we're trying to figure out is why. ARC, on its own, is not a threat, especially with the times we've had. We just look into dangerous artifacts, so they wanted to get at us for obvious reasons, if they're planning on using one…but the attacks appear…targeted. Almost like it's not so much about that."

"Hm…" Serena hummed out. She saw Tau jerk his head, indicating they should join the others in moving back towards the town. Serena agreed, but she cast a single look back at the gravestones, wondering what the woman had been here for in the first place. "You think there's a reason they're targeting people and places at each specific location."

"I do. So does Aidan, but I have a feeling he's casting his mind elsewhere," Tau elaborated. The two stepped over the ruined school and onto the ruined streets. Tau stopped for a moment, looking it all over. Serena only imagined he was reflecting upon the moment he and Team Neo had once done this to their own hometown. He moved on quickly enough, however. "By the way, it's wonderful to see you again, though I do wish it was under more peaceful circumstances. Every time, I'm reminded of what a strikingly beautiful young woman you've become."

"Thank you, though it's hardly the time, is it?" Serena told him, adding a wink on the end. He chuckled at it, and it was like a slight balm inside Serena's soul. As if, despite all the horrible sensations around her and inside her, things were still okay, and would be okay. She would see Ash again. She had to hold on to that.

"Well, that's interesting, isn't it?" Tau's question made Serena stop as they were about to enter the square, and it caused her to blink. She had thought it was a mere trick of the eye before, or perhaps a reflection of the helicopter, but there were no further airborne vehicles in the vicinity.

Yet the fountain and the gates in the area were pulsing an angry red.

It was gathering spectators, as well. Now that the sun seemed to be setting, it was becoming more and more evident, the embers of its descent fading to night and leaving only the pulse of colors. Serena turned in the direction of the Pokémon Center, knowing that Aidan was likely there, hopefully with some kind of answer. Tau's body movement agreed with that, and the two pushed for the Center. Murmurs passed through the crowd at the odd sight, but the duo ignored them until they got to the Center.

"Never before? You're sure. Even since the Nova Incident?" Aidan was asking of Nurse Joy. The pinkette shook her head, and Serena quickly put the pieces together that he was asking about the fountain and Gates, having obviously seen them for himself. Bonnie and Rocky were there, too, clearly listening in, though the remainder of ARC in the town wasn't quite visible. Upon stepping in, Aidan addressed his comrade sharply. "Tau, we need to get a contact to the League, but I'm guessing communications are down for much of the town."

"That's correct, sir," Nurse Joy answered, now nodding her head. Aidan looked frustrated at the answer until the door to the backroom slid open almost imperceptibly. Serena looked towards it, seeing Chi and Theta stepping out. Behind them was Bethany, sitting at her husband's side as he was bedridden, convulsing a little, but otherwise fine. She hoped he would wake soon.

"Leave it to me," Chi stated, pushing his own glasses up on the bridge of his nose. The first thing he did was walk to the large television in the room, hanging from the barely intact wall. Theta strode with him and moved to fix things alongside her own husband. As they got to work, people fell silent in the area and Serena found herself staring at her wedding band.

"Don't worry," Tau said calmly from next to her. "Lionel always said it to us: Ash is resourceful beyond belief. If anyone found his way out of an impossible situation, it's him. No doubt with whatever Team Rocket is planning, he'll show up sooner or later to one of their attacks."

"Knowing him…" Serena joked. It felt good, talking with someone like Tau; someone who was removed. He wasn't just giving her hope for the sake of giving hope, but because it could actually  _mean_  something in that moment. That was worth more than words could express at that very moment.

Her legs shook for a moment, and she felt the sudden desire to sit down, the initial adrenaline of hearing the news and battling the woman finally leaving her. She breathed in and turned away, finding one of the few remaining benches that allowed her to set herself down. Aidan looked antsy while his companions worked, though it had nothing on Bonnie, who was nearly kneading her two most loyal partners, or Rocky, who was wearing a hole in the floor with his pacing. The door slid open again.

"Bethany…how is Christopher?" Serena asked, not even needing to look to know who was joining her on the bench.

"He'll live. Nurse Joy is no human doctor, but she's certain he'll recover soon. I don't think he'll be going anywhere for a couple days, though," Bethany admitted, folding her hands. It was only for a moment, however, as she soon reached her hands over and clasped Serena's. "He  _did_  take a Fell Stinger to the back, after all. But as long as he's okay, I'm okay."

"And your daughter?"

"Nap time…amazing how children can sleep even in the middle of this mess," Bethany laughed out. Serena joined her, letting it lighten her soul. Little Thea was no doubt precious to Bethany and Christopher, and Serena was glad they had made it out through all of this okay. She breathed out.

"This should do it…Do we have the code for administrative access to the IRCS?" Chi asked, straightening up from his job. Serena stood with this, bringing Bethany with her. The two women proceeded forward, joining the cluster of people now gathering against the righted screen. Displayed on it was the logo for the ever-useful and familiar Inter-Regional Communications System, proving that Chi had done what he said he would and connected the town to some sort of communications network.

_Forgot he was an expert at that kind of stuff…_ Serena mused in her head, though at the moment, she was grateful for it. Aidan was up now, clearly having the information that Lionel likely would have told him. Bonnie stopped squeezing, her eyes settling itself into a glare at the screen. Serena just waited, and as soon as Aidan was done, the screen lit up, splitting into numerous screens.

"Contact: Kalos League Headquarters," Aidan spoke clearly. There was a moment of waiting with bated breath…and then Diantha's face appeared on the screen. She wasn't alone, joined by Steven Stone and Cynthia. As Serena squinted, she could see Alain and Korrina in the background, both looking worried.

"Finally!" Steven exclaimed, looking relieved. "We've been trying to contact you. Derek told us of the attack on-"

"Save the chitchat," Aidan barked. It was so forceful that even the Champion seemed to cower in the face of it, swallowing thickly. Well, perhaps "cower" wasn't the right word, but he certainly held his tongue. "Yes, I'm aware you've been waiting to hear from us. Yes, we were attacked. Yes, Lionel is dead."

"So, Lance's report was accurate…He had speculated…" Cynthia said, as though hearing it caused her a great sense of heaviness. Aidan tapped his foot loudly. "My apologies. Proceed."

"We've been busy. All but our forces at Azalea, myself and Alpha Squad have been decimated. We are all that remains of ARC." The silence at his statement was all too heavy, and no one said a word, letting it all sink in. The gravity of the foes they were facing, of Team Rocket's ruthlessness now that they were acting, was all too palpable between those that were gathered there. "In this event, we've been trying to get a bead on what is occurring.

"Champions, what you and we have been fearing would come, has now arrived."

"Team Rocket," all three spoke at once. Serena's hands left Bethany's, clasping together. They had been expecting this? No, not that, but perhaps just thinking of it as a possibility. Now that it was here, however, everyone had been caught unawares, and Serena had to wonder just why. She also couldn't help but wonder if Ash had known…though it seemed unlike him to truly know and not do anything about it.

"They've already sent out their top operatives; that's how they were able to decimate ourselves, Azalea Town and Nova Town. They're the reason the four you sent here have disappeared," Aidan continued. Serena pursed her lips, seeing the reaction coming before it came.

"Clemont? What about Clemont?" Korrina demanded, shoving her way forward, only to be held back by Alain.

"We don't know what's happened to your fiancé," was Aidan's response. He sounded rather matter-of-fact, though Serena knew that inside, he was probably absolutely churning with fury. Korrina's eyes widened, and she sought one of the more familiar faces in the room, locking in on Bonnie. Whatever she saw in her soon-to-be sister-in-law's eyes must have encouraged her, because she stopped struggling and straightened up, a fire burgeoning in her eyes.

"Aidan, what do you know? Or rather, what can you tell us?" Diantha asked, striking to the heart of the matter. She looked exhausted, as though she'd spent the day worrying about all of this.

"We encountered one of their operatives. A woman. As well as a man named Alastair." Cynthia's eyes narrowed, and she looked to someone just offscreen, but that appeared to afford no answers. "There was something familiar about them, and I want to look more into it, but right now there are pressing matters to be concerned with."

"Do tell," Diantha insisted.

"The woman mentioned something; whether she intended for me to figure it out or not, I neither know nor care, but I do believe she said it intentionally," Aidan briskly spoke. He breathed in, giving them just a moment to prepare for any of the words that he was about to say. "She said there were dots to connect in several places for whatever Team Rocket was planning next."

"That presents a challenge, and a tricky one," Steven commented. "On the one hand, it appears she's baiting us into engaging with Team Rocket. That could be what they want. However, if we  _don't_  engage them, they can harm many people unchecked. Where do you believe these locations of attack will be next, Aidan?"

"Sinnoh and Hoenn are confirmed," Tau spoke up, answering part of the question. "That Alastair mentioned the two regions. Beyond that…"

"We can narrow it down given events here," Aidan said after clearing his throat. "Nova Town was attacked, and the fountain is glowing red. Azalea Town was slaughtered, as though the townsfolk were assassinated in their sleep."

"But neither have a connective thread, unless…" Cynthia's face adopted an expression of thoughtfulness, trying to consider every angle that Aidan was approaching here. Serena observed the older man, wondering what conclusions he had reached behind his brain. "Lance told us that Derek remarked how Azalea was glowing, too…though it was supposed that was from…"

"I believe there is a single connective thread: meteors."

"Again? !" Bonnie asked, her expression absolutely flabbergasted. "Why is it always meteors? !"

"It's just a speculation, but one we'd do best to heed." Bonnie pouted at Aidan's instruction, folding her arms with a huff. "Knowing that, or speculating it, I believe there are two areas that can fit the bill: Mount Chimney and Veilstone City."

"Mount Chimney? Would Meteor Falls not be a more apt location if the meteors are involved?" Steven questioned. Aidan inclined his head, as though he would have agreed with the notion at some point in time.

"Yes, I thought so, at first. Until the second attack on Nova Town, as though it wasn't enough. As though there needed to be more death. More destruction," Aidan pointed out. "There have been the uses of meteors at Mount Chimney before, and it's speculated that a meteor once bore the surface that may be the very object of Team Rocket's search: the volcano itself."

"And Veilstone has the asteroids," Cynthia concluded.

It all made sense, at least in Serena's mind. All of this was incredibly planned for maximum destruction. The only thing that didn't correlate in her mind was the scope of destruction that the plan seemed to entail from Team Rocket. From what Jessie and the others had always said, Team Rocket was hardly interested in world destruction, but rather domination. She reached up to tap her chin.  _Then again…targeted attacks leave just enough devastation for them to do their ultimate subjugation._

"Then we'll move forces into position," Diantha clarified, clasping her hands together. She looked quite concerned, as if itching to get in on the battle action herself, but holding back. "I'll leave some forces on standby here, as well, just to be safe. Though, I'll also try to contact Gary."

"Yes, soon as I'm able, I could probably work with him," Steven noted, looking a little relieved.

"Um…" Bonnie piped up, walking forward a bit. It spoke to how well-regarded she was, despite her age, that the others all paid attention to her swiftly. "Isn't Brock in the Hoenn region? He's a great doctor, so if people need help from the attacks…"

"Yes, of course," Diantha stated. There was a lull of silence from their end, leaving everyone in the Nova Town Pokémon Center to wait quietly. The single screen fully split into a few more, and other familiar faces began to appear on it as the calls were answered. Serena exhaled in relief at numerous faces she knew so well appearing on the screen, namely those of Brock, Dawn, Gladion and May's younger brother, Max. Bonnie, in particular, glared at the screen that contained Brock and Max, with the bespectacled boy glaring right back. Serena walked forward to pat Bonnie on the back and end her glaring contest.

"Well, this is a surprise," Brock spoke out, blinking rapidly (which was really more of his closed eyes thinning a bit). He glanced to Max at his side, but otherwise said little. Most surprising, he didn't even try to hit on Diantha or Cynthia once, though Serena had a guess that it had to do with a certain former Kalos Queen currently in Lumiose. Of course, it could have also been that he picked up on the tension through the screen, his nearly closed eyes further tightening on his face. "I'm going to guess right now that there's a reason you called."

"I'd like to assume so, as well," Gladion's deep tones rumbled over the connection. The only one that didn't say anything was Dawn, whose gaze seemed to be looking pointedly at Serena with question. There was a woman of roughly the same age with light pink hair in the background, taking peeks at them. "A contact from the League was not something I expected now, not after already being contacted for relief efforts in Kalos. But I take it you've helped with that, Serena."

"Somewhat. They can definitely use the assistance here, though," Serena noted to the young man. He nodded, grabbing a clipboard that was handed to him from offscreen.

"The League can also use the assistance of the Foundation at Mount Chimney in Hoenn and Veilstone City in Sinnoh," Cynthia said with authority. Gladion blinked and then reached up to brush his bangs aside while scratching his head.

"I'll do what I can. Hoenn won't be a problem; we have a fairly large contingent of our two divisions there, working at the desert. They can be at Mount Chimney by the middle of the night," Gladion informed them all. Serena breathed out at that, grateful to have the support of the Foundation in these troubling times. "Veilstone will be a little trickier."

"No need to worry! I'm here in Veilstone, and my friend Maylene is super strong!" Dawn popped up, sharing her own thoughts on the issue. She still looked perplexed, however, and chose to share these exact feelings with everyone in the group that was connected. "Uh…but does anyone mind telling me what's going on?"

"Lup!" Piplup chirped out over the screen.

"I was wondering the same thing, myself," Max insisted, sounding almost smug. Bonnie appeared to roll her eyes, and it was no mystery on Serena's end as to why. Aidan chose to not beat around the bush, his hard face radiating what now felt to be a cold fury, as opposed to the heated and passionate version he'd been exuding against the woman.

"Team Rocket has made a move as an organization. They are most likely converging on Mount Chimney and Veilstone City for whatever their next phase is. We are going to stop them, no matter the cost! Even if it means taking out their top operatives…permanently." Aidan's choice of words did not go unnoticed. Wanting to quell the situation that was now rearing its ugly head, Serena stepped forward.

"At the very least, we need to try and protect as many innocent people as possible, so that another Nova Town incident doesn't occur here. I think…that's why I'd like to go to Veilstone," she said. Dawn's eyes lit up at the suggestion, looking like she'd be happy to see Serena again. This kind of assessment seemed to be something that Cynthia was quite pleased with, overall.

"I agree. In a city setting there's much more to worry about, so we'll want reliable trainers to protect the populace," the blonde Champion spoke. "Alain, would you be…?"

"Yes. I think Sawyer is still around after his loss last round, as well, and I'm sure he'd be willing to help," Alain noted, giving a nod to the groups of people clustered there. "As for Paul…?"

"He cleared the earlier rounds today, so until the moment we can't use the tournament as a distraction for a while, we'll keep the illusion up," Cynthia answered the concern and query. "I'm sure he'll want to go home as soon as he's finished up tomorrow. We'll make sure he's up first."

"Then I'm guessing you'll want me to head for Mount Chimney?" Brock asked. He already looked rather prepared by Serena's estimations, hauling up a bag full of medical supplies with a grin. "Don't worry! We'll take care of it!"

"You're just going to drag me along without asking?" Max complained a little, adjusting his glasses. Bonnie scoffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"No complaining! I'm coming, too, so you don't get to complain!" Bonnie snapped at the boy. Max looked at her, spluttering loudly with concern while the girl stared him down. They acted like rivals more and more every day, despite having only had a mere handful of battles against one another.

"Wh-why should that matter? I'm doing this because I can, and because May is off in Unova or something. So, what do  _you_  matter?" Max demanded. Before the two could get into an argument from that, Rocky interjected with his own response.

"I'll go with the squirt," he stated, placing a hand atop the lemon blonde's head, even though he had to reach quite a bit up to so. Bonnie brushed him off. "Those Rocket guys ruined my home, and right now I'm the last one standin' that can do anything. Chances are I'll nab one of them at that Mount Chimney."

"I'd like to join, too," Korrina interjected, but Diantha rapidly shook her head.

"Much as your battle prowess would be welcome at any one of these sites, I'd prefer you here for now, Korrina. With Lance away on investigation, keeping the League together and trying to keep things as normal as possible is for the best right now, does everyone understand?" Diantha made plain to them. They all nodded, accepting her decision, even if Korrina was grumbling about being sidelined. Serena didn't blame her.

"I'll get on that aid and those forces. Pretty sure Plumeria might be with the desert group…" Gladion mumbled out before the connection terminated. Dawn offered Serena a wink before closing the connection, herself, all while Alain left the screen with the Champions on it.

"We'll be at Mount Chimney in no time, especially with orders from such beautiful Champions as your-ah, okay! Going!" Whether Brock had been jabbed by Croagunk or pulled by Max, Serena didn't know, considering  _that_ connection terminated as well, but it did leave the rest of them there.

"The board is set," Aidan spoke, and it seemed like he was saying it to everyone. "We all have our plans, and I need to do some investigation, just as Champion Lance has. Everyone here, say what you need to say, and do what you need to do, then move out. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Bonnie stated with a positive salute. It described all too aptly what this felt like: it was almost akin to going to war. Serena's fists clenched, watching as her little sister and Rocky turned with Beth (who had patted Serena on the shoulder) to go to Chris. She turned away, towards the entrance of the Pokémon Center, where she would grab a helicopter that Chi looked to be contacting.

"You won't be alone, you know," Tau said, falling in step with her as she began to leave the broken Center. "I think it's best if I go, too. And besides, a big city? Need the help you can get."

"I know," Serena said, striding to the outside and already hearing the beating of the helicopter rotors once more. Tau stood at her side as they watched it descend on the blood red square.  _If what she hinted at was true…it's possible that Ash may be there, too…But…even if he isn't…no matter how he is…_  "I'll just have to fight in his stead in the meantime."

* * *

"That was a close call this time," snapped the all too familiar voice. The woman turned her head to Alastair, the two of them resting on the trees overlooking Nova Town. She looked in his direction, craning her neck forward with a sly smile upon her lips, as usual. "It was a reckless decision."

"I told you it was but a lapse in judgment on my part, nothing more," she told the worrying man. He, unlike herself, was not sitting down, but standing on one of the sturdier pine branches. Alastair walked forward, his jet-black hair almost shining in the starlight that was beginning to show. It was almost a miracle that any stars would come out under the veil of smoke, shadow and the blood red glow coming from the town. She sighed. "Thank you for the help, Alastair."

"As if you needed to ask, Deirdre." Deirdre chuckled under her breath; that was all too true, but it was hardly something she wanted to take for granted. Her gaze moved upwards to the bright moon…clouds were beginning to move in on the town again. She wanted to assume they were storm clouds, ever so fitting.

"You're always saving me, anyway. Always keeping your promises to me, no matter how painful. I'm grateful," she spoke into the rustling trees. Alastair said nothing. He merely exhaled, his hand reaching up to his face and covering his left eye. Moments later, it retracted, as though it was wiping away something, as ludicrous as it was for a man such as Alastair. "They must be running around now, don't you think?"

"It's to be expected," Alastair agreed. She nodded, looking in the distance. From where they were, it was a little difficult to see Nova Town, but the bright lights of the Pokémon Center, and various other setups around the small town for illumination, gave enough insight as to the movement there. The sound of a loud helicopter was also rather informative. "No doubt they'll be engaging the forces. Do you wonder which side will succeed?"

"Perhaps a little. The boss wouldn't like my ambivalence towards this, but it's too adorable to watch both sides grapple, no matter which side we truly support."

"Hmm…" Alastair hummed out, flicking his eyes back towards her. The clouds were moving in slowly, inching towards the moon and stars, causing Deirdre to sigh loudly. "Let's just not pull any more foolish stunts that can ruin the organization's plan, or yourself. You must nearly be at your limit with that last one, and I don't wish to act on my promise to you. Not at all, and especially not this early in the plan…" There was a pause from his words, and then, "You never confided in me, though…was this an act of revenge that you needed?"

"No, I abandoned that long ago," Deirdre spoke, swinging her legs over to hang off the side of the branch, as though she was floating. "That's what I wanted to see, but there was nothing towards that concept. No rage. No hatred. Just…amusement."

"Well,  _that's_  something different, at least," Alastair huffed, pulling his coat tighter to himself. Deirdre looked back towards the town, a faint feeling of nostalgia filling her at the ruffling of the breeze.

"All that's left is fixing what he made so wrong," she whispered out, only Alastair able to pick up on the nearly imperceptible response. Breathing once more, Deirdre dropped from the tree, landing with incredible lightness on the forest floor. "Come, Alastair, let's return to Team Rocket while the shadows can still hide us."

Alastair nodded, joining her on the ground, and then the two faded away into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I've never really had the chance to show Aidan in a battle (nor Lionel, but he always got more screentime before he kicked the bucket), so this was a chance to really show him doing so, even if it was just a skirmish for now. Naturally, this was part-action, part-setup. The groups are splitting up to deal with the threat that Team Rocket is presenting. I'd like to think I'm doing a different Team Rocket plan here than most would expect, but we'll see. Either way, expect a lot of intensity to come in the next few chapters!
> 
> Now that the final story is picking up, I hope you'll continue to enjoy into the future. Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	6. A Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see a humorously large amount of people misspell Aidan's name in reviews. I also have a humorously large amount of people asking where Ash is, if, indeed, he's alive. All I can say is to chill and go with the flow of the story. Oh, and enjoy Chapter 6!

Chapter 6

A Star

"You just gonna stay at his side?" Rocky asked, his voice coming out from one of the few rooms that were relatively untouched within the Pokémon Center. Bonnie looked towards it, adjusting her bag on her shoulder while she did so. Serena and Tau had seemed to have already left the Center for the helicopter, with even Aidan having long since departed, himself. Bonnie, however, was waiting for her own new companion to finish speaking with his friend.

"For now," Bethany stated, leaning back upon the chair that she was seated in. Bonnie poked her head in, watching the trio of friends that was taking up the room. Rocky was leaning against the wall lightly, observing the breathing of Christopher as Bethany watched over her husband. "I'm surprised to see you so proactive."

"We have to do  _something_ ," Rocky grunted out, now shoving his hands into his pockets. "Seamus is…well, we don't know, and with you two out of commission, I have to keep active."

"You never were content with sitting still like the rest of us," the turquoise-haired woman sighed out, though to Bonnie's ears, it sounded like a sigh of acceptance. She tipped her head back, taking in the ceiling that was still surprisingly intact. Sounds of the Performer girls and the people of Nova Town working outside those walls continued on as the two sat in silence. Bonnie thought about interrupting, but it seemed like such a quiet moment between friends that she didn't want to. Instead, she looked to Dedenne and smiled at him, petting him softly.

"This isn't about that. It's for Chris…and Astrid," Rocky breathed out. Bonnie looked at Dedenne in surprise. She had always suspected it about the Nova Town native, but to hear him admit something about the blonde-haired woman still came as a near shock. She was so used to people dragging their heels when it came to their feelings, positive or negative. Though, on further thought, she realized it  _had_  been nine years since the two had first met.

"Hm…I understand," Bethany spoke, now folding her hands upon her lap. Another moment of silence passed between them, and Rocky blew outwards. He chuckled a bit and stepped forward, slapping a hand to his female friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about a thing. Bonnie and me, we'll clean up," he insisted, taking his free hand and thumping himself upon his chest with a smirk. Even though he couldn't see her, Bonnie yet nodded with triumph, letting Dedenne climb up to rest upon her head as Squishy dozed in her bag. "You just focus on helping Chris get better, all right?"

"You should focus on yourself, idiot," Bethany said, a small smile on her lips. Bonnie watched the two, and looked as Christopher's fingers seemed to twitch, a small grunt emitting from his mouth as he turned slightly. It was a sign he was nearly recovered in Bonnie's book.

"Please, I'm like steel. Nothing will break me! And Chris is doin' just fine; I'm sure he'll be up before I even get back. I just don't want another thing to happen like here in the meantime." Rocky lifted his fists and flexed his muscles, like he would take care of everything without a single problem. Bethany reached up and punched him on the shoulder.

"I thought you were like rock," she joked, a slight snicker escaping her lips. He swatted her away and knelt down to his best friend, hands on his hips. Bethany continued on. "You really cared for her, didn't you?"

"Maybe. Not sure she…" Rocky sighed. He cut himself off and shook his head, reaching over and brushing some of Christopher's hair away. The other man seemed to smile in amusement, even in his sleep, which Bonnie took comfort in. "That doesn't matter. I just gotta wreck 'em. For hurting her and my town…not necessarily in that order. In the meantime, Chris, you stop making Beth worry so much, you lunkhead."

"You're one to talk," Bethany laughed out, finally standing. She grabbed hold of her friend and began to wheel him out of the room. Bonnie barely moved out of the way as the woman pushed Rocky away and sent him nearly stumbling into the Center proper. "Go on. We'll make sure Nova Town is cleaned up. I'm not just going to sit around, and we need some of the top people in this town helping out."

"I got it, I got it!" Rocky chuckled, as well, finally righting himself. He looked to Bonnie, who offered him a rather toothy grin. "Ready to kick some ass, squirt?"

"You got it!" Bonnie agreed, reaching over to give the man a high five. She didn't even mind being called "squirt", knowing that Rocky had said it in a good-natured ribbing. On her person, Dedenne and Squishy seemed to give their own cries of battle-readiness, despite their previous relaxed state. Both of them ready, Rocky turned towards the exit, raising his hand in farewell to Bethany. She watched after him fondly, as Bonnie trailed after the man, seeing his broad shoulders precede her. He looked like he was still a little pained, but running on adrenaline and the want to get back at the people who had hurt his town.

Rocky was a man going to war.

"We have to do our part, too," Bonnie told her partners. They nodded at her, facing forward as they raced off after Rocky. The sound of a helicopter was once more filling the air, indicating that their ride had already arrived, touching down to the square in the dark of the night. Not that it was entirely dark with the disturbingly angry red glow. Still, Bonnie ignored that, focusing on the mission ahead…well, that and who she'd see once she reached the site of it. "Can't believe we're gonna have to deal with  _him_  again…"

"Dene…" Dedenne agreed with a yawn. Squishy didn't seem to care at all, and Bonnie felt she was fine with that. Trying to ignore her impending reunion with the one that had called himself her rival (by nature of age rather than skill, she felt), she ran closer to Rocky as the two approached the helicopter. The young man tapped on the screen that separated them from the pilot.

"Mount Chimney, here we go!" Rocky shouted over the loud whirring, before seating himself down and strapping himself in. Bonnie did the same and prepared to feel the liftoff of the helicopter into the air. It jerked slightly as it came off the ground, traveling slowly into the air with that sensation. Bonnie didn't bother grabbing on to anything, her seatbelt holding in place as the vehicle took to the air and shot off towards the ocean that separated them from Hoenn. Knowing it was some distance, Bonnie sat back and stared out of the window, to the black ocean.

It had been non-stop from the second they'd touched down in Nova. Even though it was the kind of lifestyle she was used to, jet setting across regions on wild adventures that, while not living up to her childhood days with Ash, Serena and her brother, were still an exciting experience. This one had her filled with more trepidation than she was used to, however.

"Yo, squirt, you okay?" Rocky's question drew Bonnie away from the window and she looked to him. His body language communicated that he was gearing up for a fight, but his face still held a smile.

"Just a little worried, I guess," Bonnie admitted with a huff. She didn't like seeming like she was scared to anyone, especially in front of  _Max_  of all people. Not that she was quivering or anything, but there was a fear and thrill inside her bones. Rocky leaned back.

"You? That's a surprise? After all the world ending stuff, I figured you'd be a pro at it by this point," he expressed, still with his grin. There was a moment where Bonnie blinked, and then Rocky began to laugh loudly. Bonnie couldn't help it, and she quickly joined in with the man, their laughter filling the helicopter. It was completely dark in the aerial transport, save for the soft light emanating from the cockpit, but their laughter made Bonnie feel a little better…if only just a little.

"Maybe it's because it's been a while since the last time. Alola feels like a long time ago…" the lemon blonde said, remembering fondly on their last big adventure together there. It had been right before she'd decided to start her own journey in Hoenn. However, thinking about it, she realized her fears and worries didn't come from a lack of life-or-death battles, but from the fact that someone she had loved and admired all her life wasn't by her side.

She had no idea where Clemont was, or if he was even okay. That scared her to death. On top of it, knowing these villains, Team Rocket of all people, had the strength and lack of morality to outright  _kill_  people as kind as Lionel…

"Rocky…my brother…do you…?"

"Clemont's a smart kid," Rocky said, cutting her off. "Well…guy…but you get my point. I might have been…not so nice in thinking about it before, but…The four of them there are gonna be okay…maybe. But right now, we don't have the time to worry about them."

She had to admit that he had a point regarding that, at the very least. No one really knew what had occurred, and while the thought of whatever had happened to her brother absolutely frightened her down to the bone, their route to Mount Chimney said there was no time to wallow in fear. Bonnie looked to Rocky, noticing that he was looking out of the window. The lemon blonde trainer had to imagine it was taking all of him to not worry about Astrid in the long run. To that, Bonnie finally breathed in.

"Right! I have to do my part for big brother, too!" Bonnie declared to the both of them in the helicopter. Rocky looked over with a smirk in her direction.

"That's the spirit, squirt. And don't worry, I'll look after you. Nothin's gonna take us down!" he insisted, reaching over and offering another high five to the girl. That made Bonnie feel instantly better. Clemont wasn't there, but she was sure as hell gonna fight as hard as she could while he wasn't. She just trusted he'd make his way back eventually. She  _had_  to believe in that.

"We're on approach," the pilot called back to the duo, and it drew their attention to the gleaming lights that were nearing. Bonnie and Rocky both pressed against the windows, looking out at the lights of what seemed to be Mauville City through the darkness. She had no idea how long they'd been flying, but a slight patch of light far off on the horizon suggested that it may have been close to dawn.

Or, she would have thought that if her mind wasn't occupied by the belching smoke in the direction of Mount Chimney.

"Think that's natural or…?" Rocky questioned, but Bonnie didn't have an answer. She wasn't even sure if Clemont would have had an answer to that kind of question. All Bonnie did know was that there was definitely some sort of battle there, if only because of another helicopter coming from a different direction.

"You want me to land on the volcano or what?"

"Nah, we'll just jump," Bonnie insisted, unbuckling herself. Rocky gave her a mad grin, like he really enjoyed the way she was thinking about all of this. Bonnie reached up, taking her ponytail and tying it into a bun on her head. The battle was here.

The smoke soon moved in, almost obscuring their vision, though the pilot proved expert enough to maneuver his way through it. The other helicopter was nearing them, though keeping some level of distance to ensure no accidents occurred. The smoke billowed upwards, but cleared soon enough to give sight of what seemed to be the battlefield down below.

"Whoo…looks like a lot of people!" Rocky commented. His lips were in a grin, Bonnie noticed, but his eyes were zipping around the area, as if looking for a target to strike at. She joined him in that, trying to get the lay of the land.

Rocky's observation certainly wasn't a wrong one. There was a popping sound from down below, as though a set of attacks had collided powerfully. The battle had begun down below, a mess of white and black, almost like a chess board, writhing and swirling around on the volcanic surface. Somewhere further along was the crater that contained the lava of the volcano. Bonnie spared that a look for all of a minute before she was back to seeing the colliding forces. Aidan's conclusions had been right, because the mass of black appeared to be Team Rocket, here for whatever nefarious purposes, while opposing them was the white of the Aether Foundation, only made obvious by the large jet resting on the volcano's surface, emblazoned with its logo.

"Squishy, you ready?" Bonnie asked of her trusted partner. He burbled up at her, smiling with his eye before closing it and preparing to draw in more magnitudes of energy than before. Rocky also grabbed a pokeball. The helicopter drew close enough to the volcano, the heat now buffeting up at them and making Bonnie sweat a little bit. She was ready, though. "Let's go!"

"Denenenenene!"

"Probopass, let's wreck!" Rocky shouted, tossing his capture device forward. From it emerged the familiar shape of a Probopass. Rocky opened up the helicopter door, allowing Probopass out, before he leapt out of it. In seconds, the Compass Pokémon had caught him and was descending rapidly.

"Here goes!" Bonnie shouted, grabbing hold of Squishy and tossing him out of the helicopter. The sound from her partner grew louder and the area glowed a powerful green, numerous streaks of light streaming through the air and joining with Squishy's body. Bonnie giggled a little and followed Rocky's example of jumping out of the helicopter.

Squishy's body began to transform from the streaks of green light, elongating into a slithering tail. His head changed, becoming large and spiked. Dedenne clung tightly to Bonnie's shoulder as she threw her arms out, features tightening into one of focused determination. The green light burst, revealing Squishy in his snakelike form, eyes glowing with ferocity. Bonnie had to wonder if, perhaps, her trusted partner sensed something now that he was at the site of battle. It soon proved irrelevant as Bonnie reached him and enclosed her arms around Squishy while he began to drop to the surface of Mount Chimney. Rocky and Probopass were floating downwards slowly, keeping pace. In the vicinity, Bonnie could hear another helicopter, like there were others on approach, though Squishy was aiming right for the Aether ship.

Their descent didn't take all that much longer, gravity finally taking over fully and completely to force them back to the ground. Rocky landed far smoother, Probopass hovering above the ground, while Squishy made impact with the surface, sending a shudder through the area. Bonnie shook a little from it, but otherwise let go and dropped to the ground, getting herself steady on her feet. A voice shook her from her recovery.

"Well, someone knows how to make an entrance," drawled a familiar voice. Bonnie turned her head to see the form of Plumeria, hips cocked as she stood there. She was still dressed in black, as she had been so many years ago, though instead of the Skull brand, she wore the revamped logo of the Aether Foundation on her uniform. Forming ranks around her were her brothers and sisters. "Took you long enough. This thing is complicated enough as it is."

"Yeah, yeah," Bonnie waved off, finally getting her bearings. She looked up at Plumeria, frowning at her. She knew just how much the woman hated complications. The multi-colored haired woman seemed to wear a mixture of emotions on her face, like she couldn't figure out quite what to say to her. It was possible that news of Clemont's disappearance was already spreading. An explosion sounded in the distance.

"Sis…" one of the people surrounding Plumeria said in a frightened voice. She reached over, placing a hand on the guy's head.

"Don't worry. We've got our 'heroes' here," she said with a smirk. "We'll make it back to the boss, both of them, just fine."

"Speaking of, mind telling us what's happening here," Rocky spoke, almost spitting his words out with venom. Probopass remained at his side, though the man reached for his pokeball and called Rhyperior out, all three of them looking to "wreck" as he would put it. Plumeria surveyed him, just as the sound of the other helicopter drowned out the din of battle. Bonnie glanced back, seeing three figures emerging from the secondary vehicle. This surprised Bonnie, but when the helicopter had taken off and revealed who was left behind, it made more sense, even if Bonnie scowled from it.

"Status report," snapped an authoritative voice from the three that were approaching. Bonnie raised her hand, greeting Brock, who was taking up the rear with medical supplies. The man smiled to her, and as Bonnie turned back, she caught sight of Max, who was staring at her. Had it not been for the setting and situation, Bonnie would have ignored him, but instead she nodded, before turning to the boy's father, who had come with him.

"You the Petalburg Gym Leader, then?" Plumeria asked. The clean-cut man, one familiar to Bonnie, nodded, his arms held at his side, fingering a pokeball of his. Plumeria seemed to decide that was good enough. "We arrived at the volcano on Gladion's orders. Decided to survey the area because, well, that's our job."

"Then we got attacked, yo!" one of the females near Plumeria shouted. "Like, big booms, yo!"

"It was hella scary!"

"What these idiots said," Plumeria indicated. Norman was nodding, taking the information in. While he did so, Brock was setting his equipment down, staring out at the smoke strewn battlefield, much of what was in the distance still vaguely obscured. Bonnie joined him, Max coming up to her side as the two stared out over the area. It must have been so sudden, like Team Rocket had known the Foundation would be there and just waited to make their strike. Max was shaking his head. "We haven't been able to get close. Between the drones, the Rocket operatives and their top agents at the base of the volcanic crater…"

"Explosions…drones…" Rocky's voice attained an obvious edge to it, the young man sounding furious. Bonnie looked at him, understanding what was going through his mind. They were the same as those who had attacked their town. Bonnie's blood began to race.

"Then they  _are_  planning something there," Norman stated. The lemon blonde looked up to the older man, seeing how his mind was working at lightning speed to come up with a battle strategy. He clearly came up with one quickly enough. "How many here have even a modicum of medical expertise besides Brock?"

"Myself," Plumeria's answer was. "Not that I'm great, but you spend years bandaging up your idiot brothers and sisters, and this is the result."

"Excellent, you'll stay behind as a rendezvous point," Norman explained. Plumeria shrugged, easily accepting the orders; her love of few complications was quite evident. "I'll take the middle ground in order to more easily coordinate our efforts. Brock, I'll need you with me to help there as our top doctor. We'll send back those that we can to join up with Miss Plumeria."

"What about us, dad?" Max asked, his voice grating in Bonnie's ear for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; now wasn't the time for their petty rivalry. They were joined in a unified cause.

"I'll need some of the better fighters up front and center to find out whatever Team Rocket is doing, with myself joining once some of the chaos has calmed," Norman answered his son. Max nodded his head jerkily, prompting Bonnie to look at her rival. He seemed to actually be shaking, though whether from anticipation or fear, she didn't know. She  _could_  feel how antsy Squishy was, though, his head turning back and forth in surveying of the battlefield. "Whatever Team Rocket plans to do, it is no doubt by the crater, and having to do with it. Top operatives or no, we need to engage them there and stop whatever it is."

"There was a crane we saw on our descent," Brock pointed out. He was now closer, Croagunk out with him, alongside what looked to be a Blissey, smiling at all of them. "It was for just a moment, through the smoke, but it was there, with a glow. Might have just been our particular angle, though."

"Then that's where we're heading!" Bonnie said, slamming her fist into her palm. Dedenne chattered out in agreement. Knowing they couldn't waste any time, Bonnie reached over and grabbed Max's arm. "We're sticking together. Strength in numbers."

"O-okay…" Max said, his voice warbling a little with it all.

"Screw that," Rocky's voice called. It sounded far away, and Bonnie looked over to see the young man already on the move, picking up speed as he headed for the thicket of battle. "Those freak Team Rocket bastards are  _mine_."

"Rocky!" Bonnie called out, but it was to no avail. He was picking up speed, the steam and smoke almost completely obscuring his figure as he did so. Norman looked to take it in stride, as though he'd always planned to send the man to the front of the line.

"Everyone, stick together. We've no idea how strong their operatives are, but they look to have come prepared. Make sure we protect our escape route here," Norman indicated, pointing to the airship from the Aether Foundation, "and get to wherever the source of their plans are. Go!"

"Come on!" Bonnie shouted, running forward at the order, dragging Max along with her. Squishy began to slither across the ground, though his form was obviously noticeable. Max yanked his arm out of her hand and tossed his pokeball into the air, a Gallade emerging.

"Gallade…" Gallade hissed out upon the sight of Dedenne, who was staring him down.

"Not now, guys," Bonnie sighed out, beginning to pick up the pace, herself. The smoke billowed into her face, and she gave a slight cough, but otherwise proceeded forward. A clanking noise near her indicated Brock's arrival. "Nice to see you, Brock!"

"Likewise…kind of," Brock chuckled out. The smoke seemed to, ironically enough, be clearing as the sounds of battle were heightened. Squishy tensed nearby and shapes moved within the clearing smoke. "Didn't expect there to be a battle, I'll say that much. So, let's save the reunion for later."

"On it! Squishy, Dragon Pulse!" Bonnie ordered, her eyes narrowing once more. Squishy cried out loudly, rearing back. A purple glow appeared near where one would suspect its mouth to be, brimming with energy. Then it fired out, like a triple-headed dragon, maws wide open as it sailed through the smoke. The force of the attack caused the smoke to ripple and disperse, clearing the land and giving Bonnie a much better view of the battle ahead.

"Well, that's a lot…" Brock commented. Even with the Dragon Pulse striking perfectly into a group of gathered Team Rocket agents, blasting them apart, it still proved Brock's comments absolutely correct. The top of Mount Chimney was positively swarming with agents of Team Rocket and the Aether Foundation alike, though the former had far more than the latter. It was a practical warzone; one which reminded Bonnie of the battle in Alola eight years ago, ironically against the very people on their side now.

"Gang up, Aether Style, yo!" one of the former Skull members shouted. As Bonnie ran into the thick of the battle, she saw a group of five of them gather up with their Pokémon and combine a group of Bubblebeam attacks that blasted a group of Team Rocket members back. Bonnie almost shook her head.

Then she began to hear whirring.

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Max called, though he held a tremor in his voice. Gallade skidded along the ground, his arm glowing purple before he slashed it down. The purple crescent soared through the clearing air and slammed into what looked like a flying robot. Attached to it was a Weezing, which dropped the second the attack struck.

"Dedenne, Parabolic Charge!" Bonnie shouted, her own ears pricked for the sound of more of those drones. Sure enough, they rose up in the air, like the cloud of smoke from earlier, their little rotors whipping up some air. Dedenne leapt from Bonnie's shoulder, summoning the electricity to himself.

"Denenene!" Dedenne shouted, and the electrical orb emerged from his body. Sparks flew around the area in a shower. The drones sparked and began to smoke, themselves, as the electricity made contact. Gallade, without Max's order, dashed in and slammed each of them down with an attack. The clearing storm of drones revealed the form of Rocky, already slightly ahead of them, though with the slower Pokémon on his team, he wasn't moving as fast as perhaps he would have liked.

"Air Cutter," snarled a nasty voice. Bonnie and Max turned their heads. The slicing blades of wind flew through the air and Bonnie grabbed her rival. Yanking him to the side, the attack barely missed where he'd been standing. He was still shaking there, as Bonnie looked and saw that in the mess of drones, the Team Rocket members had been working to trap their group. "Agent 009, are they the target?"

"Target…?" Brock mused, a clanking noise indicating that he had dropped his medical supplies already. Bonnie walked back a bit, coming up against Squishy, who was tensing even further. She could feel it in her connection with him; whatever Team Rocket was doing, it disturbed him. It was almost as if he'd been awoken, in a sense. The fact that he kept looking over in the direction of the crater all but confirmed that. "What are you talking about?"

"No…none of them, as far as I know, though our information is rather lacking," said a snappish female voice. Bonnie breathed in, wondering where the voice was coming from. Another explosion sounded out, and the lemon blonde looked to see the black-clad forms of both Team Rocket and the former Team Skull members flying into the air. It made Bonnie's heart hurt, while Squishy coiled in. That hadn't just been a simple explosion. "What does  _he_  think he's doing?"

"Why don't you answer questions?" Brock said. His body was rigid, his voice laced with a certain sense of fury. Bonnie felt her head hurt, empathizing with the pain that Squishy was feeling.

The owner of the voice finally appeared, the group of Team Rocket members parting to let her through. Brock's face tightened, as though he recognized the woman striding through, her blonde hair bouncing. She looked older, as though the beauty she once had as a young woman was fading with the years and stress. She stopped, some feet away from them, as the battle continued elsewhere, fraught with more screams and tension.

"I know you…" Brock breathed out, though Bonnie felt that only she could really hear it. She even heard him almost whisper the name with vehemence under his breath. "Domino…"

"Hmm?" the woman asked, cocking her ear to the side, as if listening carefully, but Brock said nothing more. She clearly didn't care, a cold demeanor settling on her face. "No, none of them, for sure. They're expendable for the point."

"Ex-expendable!" Max squeaked out. He sounded like he was genuinely about to freak out at this point. Wanting to comfort him, Bonnie reached a hand out and touched his arm, though it didn't do all that much good. Domino looked at him, reaching up to her ear. It almost seemed like she was talking with someone.

"No, sir, I'm afraid not, at least as far as Alastair mentioned. He may yet be untraceable, if rumors are anything," she said. Bonnie's eyes were flitting around all the enemies surrounding them, thinking of a way out of the situation. She reached over and placed a hand on Squishy, trying to think up a battle plan as swiftly as she could. "Louise is working on retrieving the object to confirm for this location, yes. I have no idea what Toll is doing…Understood."

"Squishy, get ready," Bonnie whispered, keeping her eyes on Domino. She could no longer see Rocky, and figured he must have gotten much farther ahead, the girl only hoping that he hadn't gone the way of those blown away in the distance. Instead, she pulled Max closer to her, the bespectacled boy looking to almost blush a bit. "We need to get ready, 'kay?"

"Uh…y-yes," Max said. He swallowed, steeling the look in his eyes. For a trainer that was so analytically brilliant on the battlefield, he was still shaking like a leaf in this situation.

"Kill them. They're utterly useless. Boss' orders," Domino spoke, waving her hand. She turned away, the agents once more parting for her to get through. Bonnie watched her trajectory, noticing that she was moving in the direction of what was now quite visible as a crane. It was hard to tell much beyond that, but it was obvious to be the place of Team Rocket's base of operations on the volcano.

"Squishy!"

"Hyper Beam!" Norman's voice overrode Bonnie's own. A bright orange beam, slicing through the air, exploded all around them. Bonnie grabbed to Max, holding him against Squishy as the gale howled through the area on impact. Team Rocket flew up into the air as a large Pokémon, a Slaking, charged through and punched them powerfully. They flew forward, tumbling across the ground towards the crater. They landed at the edge, scrabbling to make sure they didn't fall down.

"Extreme Speed, dog form!" Bonnie yelled, stamping her foot to the ground. Squishy gave a jerk of his head and then shot forward, blazing with a combination of white and green lights. His body changed, cells flying out of it as he went back into his dog-like form. He howled, still shooting forward with the light, right for Domino. The woman turned for a second and then cartwheeled away. The attack missed, while Domino skidded backwards, hand gripping at her belt. "Come on, Max!"

"R-right!"

"Slaking, hold the line. Brock, tend to the wounded!" Norman shouted. Slaking slammed down on the ground, looking tired, as usual. That gave Brock the moment to grab his materials and run for the nearest cluster of Aether employees. Bonnie ran forward, aiming right for Squishy and Domino. She dragged Max along, Gallade running at his side.

"What did they mean by 'target'?" Max breathed out, seeming to put himself back together bit by bit from whatever was leaving him so shaken. "And what are they planning…?"

"I don't know," Bonnie said. She felt a squeezing in her chest as she looked at the ground, right at the face of a Foundation employee lying there. He was unmoving. It gave a slight stutter to her steps, but she shook her head. Now wasn't the time. Now wasn't the time.  _Now isn't the time, Bonnie! Not now!_  "But you can figure it out, right? You're smart! Probably the smartest guy here…unless you count me, of course."

"Do you always have to be this way?" Max asked, sounding a bit annoyed as he adjusted his glasses. It reminded Bonnie of her brother, and she resisted the urge to laugh. To do so, she faced forward and saw more drones sailing out from the site of the clearly lava-specialized crane, where a woman dressed in Team Rocket regalia sat. The chain connected to it was slowly moving upwards.

"Of course!" Bonnie shot back at him, grinning at the boy. For whatever reason, Max appeared to take comfort from that and smiled back at her, though she could see that hint of arrogance shining right through. "I'll take on  _that_  person, and you get the crane shut down so you can help Rocky, okay?"

"Right," Max said, now sounding more confident in the moment. Gallade drew closer to him as the two ran ahead, for a group of Rocket agents and drones. At the same time, Bonnie closed ranks with Squishy as Dedenne dropped down to the ground, all three of them facing the crater. Domino was straightening, a light emerging from her waist as a Lopunny appeared, a bracelet on its wrist.

"Unexpected complications, sir," the woman spoke, eyes focusing forward on Bonnie. Even with that, the girl could tell her opponent was thinking and focusing elsewhere. The sound of whirring drones filled the air yet again, and while some seemed to be smashed from Max and Gallade breaking them apart, others looked to be firing off little missiles.

"Have to make this quick and join up," Bonnie muttered under her breath, a sentiment shared with her Pokémon. Domino seemed momentarily distracted, even if her Lopunny wasn't, but Bonnie took the moment to see where Rocky had gone, running towards the crane and the woman that was there, surrounded by drones.

"Louise, how close are we?" Domino asked, her voice picking up in volume. "The boss expects a good status report!"

"Close," another voice called over from the direction of the crane, confirming its operator's name. "Just a small test with our own fragment and we'll be ready. A shard from the Alpha should cause the reaction we're looking for, as predicted."

"Then I'll destroy this child and we'll proceed with the plan," Domino spat. It seemed like she was telling both of the people she was speaking with, but Bonnie ignored that. She wasn't about to treat Domino as anyone but a battle and person that needed to be defeated for hurting others. A pulsing sound filled the air as more smoke and soot belched upwards. The area glowed almost yellow from the heat and Bonnie closed her eyes, filtering out the sounds of explosion and devastation all around them. She blocked out the sight of Brock running to a wounded Foundation member, bandaging her leg, as well as Max's attempts to join with Rocky. It was only time for the battle. "Bounce."

"Lopa!" Bonnie turned her eyes right back to Lopunny, just in time to see it bounce into the air like a swift moving bullet. Her eyes tracked it upwards, right into the air, snapping down in time to see Domino grabbing what looked like a black tulip from her belt.

"Squishy, Dragon Pulse!" Bonnie ordered. Domino tossed the tulip right at her and Bonnie ducked, the object sailing over her head, nearly shaving some hairs off. Her heartrate accelerated as Squishy bounded forward again. He opened his mouth and fired the purple beam into the air. It soared outward in the form of a dragon, arcing upwards for Lopunny. "Dedenne, Nuzzle!"

"Nene!" Dedenne agreed. He scampered along the ground, climbing up Squishy's leg, to his head, and then jumping upwards, rubbing his cheeks. Lopunny came flying back down. Bonnie's vision was a complete whirl, trying to keep track of so many things going on at once. Domino was running at her, taking out another tulip. Bonnie's eyes widened as she brandished it, the object extending into a staff, brimming with electricity.

Lopunny's foot slammed into Dedenne's head, carrying him down with extreme force, before striking Squishy and crushing them both into the ground, a small crater left behind in the space. Rocks crumbled off into the lava beyond their battlefield, while more explosions rang out. Domino took a swipe with her staff. Bonnie fell backwards, onto her butt, to avoid the attack. Lopunny, without any orders, brought a glowing knee snapping straight upwards, slamming right into Squishy's head and sending him flying backwards.

"Dizzy Punch," Domino stated, twirling her staff around and bringing the electrified end soaring down. Bonnie flattened herself on the ground and began rolling away, her bag slipping from her arms. The staff impacted with it, causing it to burn and smoke. Bonnie swallowed. Lopunny's large ears slammed outward, striking Squishy on its side and sending him flying. He slammed upon the ground, closer to the crane, but when he stood, his head was whipping back and forth. "That will make things easier."

"Not for you!" Bonnie shouted. She decided to get up, feeling she'd have a better chance on her feet. In order to do so, her feet kicked forward, causing Domino to evade the attack while Bonnie regained her balance. "Parabolic Charge!"

"De! Ne ne ne ne ne neeeeee!" Dedenne squealed out, rubbing his cheeks. He was back on his feet, racing right for Lopunny as his whole body showered with sparks, sending the orb of pulsing electricity out. It burst, raining shocks all over Lopunny's body, while Squishy thrashed about. Lopunny hunkered down as Dedenne stood up straighter.

"High Jump Kick," Domino stated coolly. She was swinging her staff again, and this time, Bonnie decided to jump, missing the swipe. Engaging Domino in any kind of physical battle was clearly not a good idea, especially with Squishy still out of commission. Lopunny's knee came slamming outwards, nailing Dedenne square on and sending him flying away. He righted himself in midair while Bonnie ran in Squishy's direction, taking her chances.

"Play Rough!" Bonnie shouted, landing on the ground and running towards her Pokémon, and towards the crane. Getting closer, she could see Max surrounded by drones, only a short distance away from the mint-green-haired woman at the crane's console. She looked utterly unperturbed by the battle waging around her, tossing something up and down in the air.

"Ne!" Dedenne confirmed, righting himself in midair and shooting forward for Lopunny. His small size enabled him to slip through any gaps and get close. Dedenne landed in the center and his tiny hand punched forward. Bonnie grinned as the attack rippled through Lopunny's body before Dedenne made his next strike. Dust and smoke appeared around Lopunny's body while Dedenne beat upon it, sending it flying through the air with a final strike. Domino was en route to catching up with Bonnie.

"Take a chance…Squishy, Land's Wrath!"

"Hurrr!" Squishy barked, still thrashing back and forth. His eyes alighted green and another howl filled the air. Spires of earth emerged, cracking with the heat of the location they were battling upon. Bonnie spun to the side, barely avoiding her own partner's attack, while Domino was forced to maintain a distance from it. Lopunny slammed to the ground while Dedenne landed right atop Squishy. The Order Pokémon stopped thrashing, blinking as though its haze was clearing. Bonnie exhaled from that.

"Squishy, we need to keep her away from me while we deal with Lopunny," Bonnie said, patting the canine form on the head. Squishy nodded, but only for a second. Bonnie looked up and saw that Domino had flipped on top of one of the spires, grabbing yet another tulip…this one containing a keystone. "Oh, no…"

"Mega Evolve," Domino stated, her attitude all business in the moment. She clasped it tight, and the bracelet around Lopunny began to shine. It transformed, and Bonnie stepped away, while Squishy and Dedenne advanced. Lopunny's ears grew longer, looking more powerful than before. Bonnie almost shivered; the battle had already moved swiftly before, but now she knew her only chance was with the two already fighting at her side. "Did you think that because you had a modicum of skill, you could stand up to Team Rocket? We have planned for our domination too long, and our leader has entrusted me and our Pillars with the safe operation of this mission. I wouldn't leave something like that to chance.

"You're out of your depth. You, and all your friends."

"Squishy, Dede-" Bonnie couldn't get the words out before Lopunny struck. As the glow of its transformation finished, Lopunny was racing forward. Its ears extended, practically restricting both of Bonnie's Pokémon as it wrapped around them. Then it sprung up, leaving Bonnie to watch in horror. A sudden pain entered her shoulder, and she felt it grow numb and useless, flopping to her side. Looking down, she saw how a tulip had struck her there, shocking her. Lopunny spun around in midair and hurtled back towards the ground. Before reaching the ground, it let go of Bonnie's partners.

"Double Hit…and make sure you get the girl," Domino stated callously, tossing another tulip almost lazily. Another sharp shock entered the lemon blonde's leg, leaving Bonnie's knee to collapse underneath her, sending her to the ground. Lopunny's ears snapped out, slamming into Squishy and Dedenne while in midair, knocking them away with extreme force. Its other ear came out and nailed Bonnie in the chest, flinging her near useless body to the side with her Pokémon.

She flew through the air, unable to move, and before Bonnie knew it, she'd collided with Max and Gallade. The drones they had been fighting scattered, some of them disappearing as they gathered around their master, the one named Louise. Said woman spared a glance, allowing Bonnie a good look at her: mint green hair, tied in a bun, and sharp eyes, with a pair of glasses resting on her forehead. Her eyes were almost pitying as Bonnie rolled off Max.

"Come on…move…" Bonnie groaned, realizing her body didn't want to move, too shocked and numbed by Domino's tulips. Louise turned away, back to the crane, as a loud sound was heard, as though something was being pulled from the depths. Max strained to stand, as well, while Domino approached. "Move!"

"Stone Edge!" Rocky's strong shout indicated another battle taking place nearby. Bonnie looked up, her vision hazy from the numb feeling in her limbs. Rocky was certainly battling, Rhyperior slamming his foot on the ground. Stones flew out from his body for a Camerupt in the distance, its owner's voice traveling just as Rocky's had.

"Earth Power," the man called, his shaggy blond hair flecked with soot. The ground glowed golden, cracking and crumbling before blasting out underneath Rhyperior, who dropped to a knee.

"Rhyperior, no givin' up! We're wrecking the guy who wrecked our home!" Rocky roared, running at the man in charge of the Camerupt. Bonnie finally realized: this was Toll. The one that had killed Lionel. The one that had destroyed Nova Town. She urged her numbed limbs to move. Domino was close now.

"What is Tolbert  _doing_?" Domino asked coldly of Louise. Lopunny was standing above Squishy and Dedenne, who were struggling to stand, as well. Louise waved her hand.

"I have no idea," the green-haired woman answered. She seemed to flick her glasses down. "He's never been good at following orders, and since he's been on such a roll lately…"

"Well, I'd prefer he not go blasting apart our agents," Domino stated, finally reaching a position to stand above both Bonnie and Max. Bonnie wasn't sure where to look: at the woman standing above them, ready to kill, or the battle that Rocky was waging with Toll.

"Rock Wrecker!" Rhyperior was standing again, raising his hands and forming a glowing red rock between them. With a tremendous heave, he sent it hurling at Toll. At the same moment, Rocky reached his own target and punched the man across the face. Toll took it without even flinching, and in seconds, his knee had driven into Rocky's chest. Then then blond had grabbed his opponent's head, slammed his own against it and punched Rocky's chest to send the man flying backwards, right into Rhyperior. "Hammer Arm!"

"Rhyperior!" the Drill Pokémon brushed his trainer aside, and Bonnie watched as Rocky's arm drooped at his side. Clearly, he'd taken damage. Rhyperior's arm slammed down upon Camerupt, collapsing it to the ground and leaving an indent so large, Bonnie was surprised it hadn't sent Camerupt to the depths of the volcano.

"Nice one…" Rocky breathed out. Domino and Louise both looked up, watching the sight of the battle, as opposed to their victims. "Now, we take out the guy that hurt our town. You're done!"

"And who are you, again?" Toll asked, an eyebrow quirking in genuine confusion. That looked to incense Rocky further in his emotions.

"Tolbert, stop fooling around," Domino snapped. Toll seemed to look over in his commander's direction, and Bonnie watched as a grin split his face. It wasn't manic, but a cold and calculated one. "This is an important mission, and we have no time to-"

"All of you should shut your faces!" Rocky roared, running with Rhyperior, right for Toll. The man's grin never dropped, and Bonnie wanted to scream. Max was attempting to stand now, but Bonnie was still straining against the paralysis in her limbs. Feeling was slowly returning. She opted for yelling.

"No, Rocky! He wants you to-"

"Eruption."

Sound. Sight. Touch. All of it slowed down for a second. Rocky and Rhyperior were hurtling for Toll. The clanking of the chain sounded so distinct, as whatever they had been pulling from the craters depths became visible, glowing a faint yellow. It looked familiar, but all Bonnie could see was Rocky. He looked almost frozen in midair to her.

_FWOOSH!_  Lava practically erupted from the surface, Camerupt's attack enhanced by the location. Rocky had almost reached Toll, but it wasn't enough. The plume of smoke and fire emerged right beneath him and his Pokémon, consuming him. Suddenly, there was a laughter from Toll, and when the smoke faded, it revealed Rocky standing there, his body burned and broken.

It was horrifying. Nothing like the moments where Charizard would playfully flame Ash, or Pikachu would scorch him with a Thunderbolt. It had been intended to…

Rocky and Rhyperior fell, eyes wide, and they slammed upon the ground. Max gave a whimper, his body suddenly shaking. His Gallade looked back, worried for his trainer, and while Bonnie couldn't believe her eyes, she was still urging her body to move. From within the crater from earlier, Camerupt emerged, walking slowly towards their own location and Bonnie's head screamed for herself to get up. Toll looked towards their own little group, as if considering to attack them there, but Louise quickly grabbed his attention.

"Leave them, Toll," the woman stated, moving aside to make the object from the volcano now fully visible. It looked like a meteorite, or perhaps a fragment of the one that had impacted with Mount Chimney long ago, untouched by the ravages of time. "You know why you were sent here."

"Heh…of course," Toll said, plunging his hands in his pockets as he approached Louise. Once more, the object in her hand was tossed into the air, a glowing shard of numerous colors, before she caught it. Domino leaned down.

"Well, your friend put on a show. Hopefully, you enjoyed it, and the hopeless despair of facing Team Rocket that came with it," she stated with a leering grin. Bonnie strained, and the woman looked towards Max, frozen in place. "But this isn't the place for that. If you aren't prepared to live or die on the battlefield, then you have no place being here at all!"

Domino's staff extended once again, crackling with electricity, and she sent it plunging towards the inert Max. Bonnie's fist clenched, screaming inside her head, and her eyes snapped open. She could clench her fist.

"Ha!" she chuckled, flexing her toes. Then, summoning all her energy, she swung her legs around and nailed Domino behind the knees. The Team Rocket commander was sent tumbling backwards, almost towards the mouth of the crater. Bonnie's legs came around, planting her feet on the ground and she dragged herself upwards. "We're not…done…yet…"

"Ne…" Dedenne breathed out, taking inspiration from his trainer as they all stood. Only Max remained unmoving, while Lopunny backed off a bit, as if surprised by all of them coming to their feet. Toll and Louise seemed utterly uncaring of the situation, the drones with Pokémon swirling around them, some looking to be invisible with a barrier of Protect erected. Bonnie was finally up again. She knew she could deal with them once she'd dealt with Domino.

"Max, get up!" Bonnie shouted. The black-haired boy didn't move. She looked to him on the ground, seeing him paralyzed more than any of Domino's tulips would do. Said woman was standing now, an annoyed and angry snarl on her face. She was screaming something into her headset, and Bonnie saw other Team Rocket agents on the periphery start to move in. "Max!"

"He…he killed him…" Bonnie blinked, and looked to see where Max was staring. It was at Rocky, the young man unmoving alongside his Pokémon, still smoking from the attack. At last, she understood: he had never truly been in a life-or-death situation before…not the way she had. Knowing that, she breathed out and walked over to him, slapping him across the face. Now, Max blinked and looked up to her.

"Get ahold of yourself! This is a battle! We have no time to be scared!" she screamed. Max looked at her, eyes wide. He looked confused, as though he couldn't comprehend. "Of  _course,_  I'm shaking! Of course, I want to leave it up to everyone else sometimes, but we can't do that! We're standing here, right now, so we  _have_  to fight! Swallow your fear and help me do that! You're a man, aren't you? !"

"B-Bonnie…" Max gasped out, as though surprised she would hurl such words at him. She looked down to him, defiance in her gaze and oozing out of every pore in her body. Dedenne and Squishy were standing, as well. She kept holding that gaze as Team Rocket agents ran in, and Toll and Louise continued their own efforts. Then, Max's eyes changed to those of sharpness and intelligence; he was pulling himself back together.

"Have my back," Bonnie said, facing forward towards Domino and Lopunny. "Take 'em out."

"Yes." Bonnie reached out now, clasping her rival's hand, the two of them almost sparking between their touch as they did so, and she hauled him up. Gallade came close, nodding to his trainer. The grunts converged.

"I am Bonnie of Lumiose City, sister to the greatest Gym Leader in the world. I am going to be the greatest trainer of my generation. No one's gonna stop me! Especially not some moldy jerks from Team Rocket!" Bonnie screamed, bending low and touching her hand to soot-covered surface. "So…Dedenne, power up time!"

"De! Ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne NE!" Dedenne shouted. Electricity surrounded his entire body like a storm of lightning that couldn't be stopped. Some of the Team Rocket members were caught in the waves of electricity, stamina returning to Dedenne with a green glow. Domino was done giving orders, as some of her agents fell and Gallade sent a Psycho Cut roaring into the group of grunts.

"Extreme Speed," Bonnie said sharply, her voice offering no room for anything but a swift conclusion to the battle. Squishy heeded the command instantly, firing off with a blaze of white light that slammed into Lopunny before the Mega Evolved Pokémon could even blink. Bonnie shifted her foot, scraping it along the ground. "Aerial Ace!"

"Dene!" Dedenne shouted. His body also became covered with white light and he dashed forward. A second later, he vanished, leaving Lopunny and Domino both confused. The area was cleared of grunts thanks to a sudden strike from Gallade. Max was still shaking, but he seemed to be moving forward. Dedenne reappeared, slamming into Lopunny from behind.

"Double Hit!" Domino ordered, snapping her staff out once again. Lopunny's ears whipped outward, aiming for the form of Dedenne, but Dedenne vanished at top speed once again, looking almost like a blur of powered electricity. He once more reappeared behind Lopunny.

"Nuzzle!" Bonnie commanded, punching forward. Dedenne did as such, rubbing his cheeks and nailing Lopunny in the back. Shocks spread through its entire body, causing it to convulse and turn more slowly than before. "Now, Land's Wrath!"

"Hurrruff!" Squishy barked, slamming his paws on the ground. The area churned and rumbled, and the same stone spires from before sprung upwards at a swift pace. Domino dodged to the side and began running for Bonnie, brandishing the staff. Lopunny crouched and then sprung up into the air. Bonnie looked in its direction, noticing that Dedenne was clinging to one of the ears. He let go and glowed white, zipping through the air and slamming into Lopunny once more without a command. Domino was nearly there.

"High Jump Kick!" Lopunny twirled around, its knee snapping outward and slamming into Dedenne. He tumbled through the air, but shook his head to right himself.

"Dragon Pul-whoa!" Bonnie barely managed to dodge the staff swinging over her head. Squishy, nevertheless, followed the order, sending the draconic beam arcing up into the air, where the creature snapped its jaw around Lopunny and exploded. Both Dedenne and Lopunny dropped to the ground. "Play Rough!"

"Dizzy Punch!" Domino's voice had gone up an octave, as though she was worried she might lose for the first time, despite her Mega Evolution. Lopunny certainly looked like it was having issues. The ear came sailing out for Squishy, but suddenly stopped as the electric shocks of paralysis wracked its body. Dedenne made contact, impacting with Lopunny's chest and then beating it with white puffs of smoke that sent Lopunny flying towards the ground.

"Dene!" Dedenne said proudly, a little grin on his face as he raced back towards Lopunny from the air.

"Bounce," was Domino's command as she stabbed her staff forward. Bonnie grimaced, but decided to play a little reckless. A crashing noise showed that Max had succeeded in fully wiping out the grunts and drones around the area, and was now heading for the two Rocket operatives. In the distance behind them, Norman looked to be continuing to hold the line with Brock. Lopunny sprung upwards, Dedenne carried with it.

"Extreme Speed!" Bonnie shouted as she surged forward and grabbed ahold of the staff. It hurt, almost burning at her hands as it sent convulsions along them, the electricity acting like molten hot lava, itself, along her hands. Squishy leapt into the air, white light streaking from his body before he slammed into Lopunny and sent it careening through the air. "Now, Parabolic Charge!"

"High Jump Kick! Finish them off!" Domino demanded of her Pokémon. Bonnie inched her hand up the staff and then yanked it forward, slamming her forehead into Domino's. It hurt, but the woman let go of the staff, causing Bonnie to fall backwards, and the staff to roll on the ground. Dedenne, falling through the air, charged up his electrical attack before sending the orb straight at Lopunny. Lopunny aimed right for Squishy with its glowing knee, hurtling quickly, when the orb struck it and exploded, feeding back into Dedenne. Squishy jumped back, and the enemy's strike impacted with the ground.

"Pa!" Lopunny cried out, clearly injured from the attack. Bonnie scrambled to her feet, grabbing the staff as she did so. Domino was stumbling, but flipped back to gain her balance, while Squishy and Dedenne moved in like a pincer on the foe they were facing. Lopunny was still recovering.

"Aerial Ace and Dragon Pulse!" Bonnie roared, before picking up the staff and hurtling it forward. It soared through the air at the same time as her Pokémon's attacks did. Both of the attacks smashed into Lopunny, impacting and exploding with great force. Likewise, Domino reached out to grab hold of her staff as Bonnie ran at her and kicked. The blonde dodged the kick, but in doing so, grabbed hold of the electrified end of the staff. Bonnie touched to the black tulip on the end and pressed the button she found there. "We win."

She let go, and blue electricity blasted all around Domino's body, shocking her for a moment with bright, flashing lights until, finally, she fell to the ground, twitching. Lopunny also fell, its form reverting as it slammed to the surface. Dedenne and Squishy, quickly going back to his usual state, also dropped to the ground, while Bonnie joined with them, feeling utterly exhausted.

"We won…" she breathed out, trying to get her bearings. Now that that phase of the fight was over, she could feel the heat emanating from the crater, and she looked up to see Max battling futilely against the wall of drones and Pokémon using Protect. Beyond them, Bonnie could see the crane with the fragment hanging from it as Louise touched the other strange shard to it. It seemed to react, pulsing with a sickly yellow light, while Toll handed something to the woman. The lemon blonde grimaced; of all the times to have left her other partners at home…She shook her head to clear the exhaustion settling in. "No time to rest…Dedenne, I need you."

"De…ne…" Dedenne heaved out, but he hauled himself to his feet.

"After this, you can sleep all you want…" Bonnie insisted, dragging herself to her feet, letting out a light cough. She looked behind her, seeing Brock having treated a number of people, though it seemed both sides had suffered heavy losses. It was something she didn't want to think about. Norman was busy taking care of those forces in the middle, and Bonnie knew it was up to her and Max to stop Toll and Louise. She shuffled forward, swiping her burned bag from the ground, Squishy jumping inside it, before she reached the bespectacled boy that was her rival. "Can't get through?"

"Not yet," Max answered with a grimace. "Maybe if we…"

"Right," Bonnie said, reaching her hand out for his. Max nodded and took her hand while Dedenne and Gallade faced front and center. "Dedenne, let's short circuit it with Nuzzle!"

"Gallade, strike at the sides. That's where it's weakest," Max observed. Bonnie had to smile a little at that; in all their battles, he always knew exactly where to strike. Gallade crouched while Dedenne leapt for the center, electricity pulsing from his cheeks to hit the shields surrounding them. Gallade slashed forward, sending purple crescents out that struck at the sides. The shield faltered for a moment, but otherwise did nothing. "Not enough power…If we had some sort of device like your brother could make…"

"Hmm…" Bonnie mused, though she knew there was very little time allowance for her to do so. They had to break through the circling drones to get to the crane, but with so little time…

"Perhaps flying over would work," chirped a voice from within Bonnie's bag, the girl realizing it had come from Rotom. She blinked at the suggestion a moment, clutching the satchel close to her. Then she smiled.

"That's it! Dedenne, go to Plumeria! Use her Crobat to go  _over_  the drones! Nice one, Rotom!"

"Rotom is always intelligent!" called the muffled voice of her Pokédex before it went silent.

"I'll keep hitting the outside so they don't suspect! We can win this yet," Max proclaimed. Dedenne, still seeming tired from the battle, got back to the ground and began scampering quickly across the battlefield, unnoticed by most of those that remained. Gallade was still striking, using all sorts of different moves in a futile effort to break through. Bonnie walked a little closer, but wasn't quite able to see what was going on within. Elsewhere, it sounded like the sounds of battle were fading, as though things were slowly being decided.

"My apologies," called a voice, sounding just like Toll's. Bonnie snapped her look up, wondering to whom he was speaking. "I think we have a rat to take care of, Louise."

"It's all fine. Experiments are complete. The boss will be pleased," Louise spoke. Bonnie narrowed her gaze, and in seconds, everything filled in place within her mind. She tried to jump back when a spurting flame erupted to the side. It looked like it was completely controlled, aiming for the two of them while avoiding the drones. Max dove towards her, grabbing her and pitching her to the side. The next explosion erupted from the ground, and a drone fired a missile. The duo rolled to the side, barely missing that explosion from impacting with them.

Not that it stopped the force of it. That propelled them forward, far more than Bonnie would have thought, right for the edge of the crater. Another struck nearby, erupting from underneath the surface, and Bonnie and Max were forced off the edge. They held to each other with one hand while their other hand flew out, gripping to the stony edge of the crater that they could.

"Hot hot hot hot…" Bonnie breathed out. The heat of the lava already felt like it was melting her skin, even being such a far distance away. Max was gripping tight. The lemon blonde looked up, right at the crane, and standing over them seemed to be Louise and Toll, the former more focused on her work. Before either could say a word, the woman had pressed a button that detached the crane.

With a horrible wrenching noise, the whole entire base of the crane came off, the fragment of the meteorite that had been pulled from the volcano still wholly attached to it. As it began to wrench itself away from whatever platform it was attached to, Bonnie noticed something attached to it: a bomb. She tried to pull herself up, but found she couldn't, panic setting in that she absolutely needed to. Her eyes flitted upwards, seeing Toll and Louise looking over, the latter observing her work as she pushed her glasses back on to her face with interest.

"How long, do you suppose, for detonation?" she asked. There was no maddening gaze, or even the kind of expression that Bonnie imagined had been on Faba's face when Clemont had confronted him those years ago, but rather a cold, cruel precision of sadistic calculation.

"Just a few minutes. If your hypothesis is right, it should cover the entire volcano," Toll admitted with a shrug. Max's hand scrambled for purchase on the rock as a loud splash indicated that the crane and meteorite had hit the lava. They had no time left. Bonnie raised her voice.

"Why are you doing this? What is Team Rocket up to? !" she shouted. To her surprise, it seemed to draw Louise's attention. The woman peered over the edge, regarding them carefully as her glasses slid down her nose. Bonnie didn't like the look, as if they were something to be studied and watched. Max's foot hit against the rock, clearly trying to find a foothold.

"Control," was the woman's answer, and she smiled. Bonnie shivered. Not because there was a sign of sick pleasure in Louise's eyes, because there wasn't; she was giving a genuine smile that showed a sense of happiness. As if this was a lifelong dream. "Now, Toll, I don't think we should deal with these children any longer. They'll be a pain. I'll prepare transportation."

"As scheduled," Toll commented, his blond hair waving slightly and curling at the ends from all the heat. Louise turned in a different direction, and with her, the drones flew upwards and away. Meanwhile, the man walked forward to the very edge, his Camerupt with him, smoke curling from its back. Bonnie and Max let go of each other, both grabbing with two hands to the side. The ticking time bomb beneath their feet was certainly about to go off, even if Bonnie was surprised it hadn't already. "My apologies. But not all are sinless."

"Tolbert!" the voice of Domino shouted, and Bonnie's eyes widened as she watched the fallen woman from earlier begin to stand shakily, a snarl present upon her face. "What do you think you're doing? Giovanni ordered-"

"Orders changed," Tolbert spoke, his eyes shifting over to the woman that was his comrade. "Mission comes first, right, Agent 009? The Black Tulip? Or would you rather be the first domino to fall to send everything tipping. I doubt Giovanni will mind too much."

"I wasn't informed! We were…supposed to pull out…before…"

"Stop talking," Toll sighed out, and he snapped his fingers. Camerupt's body shined, and streams of fire began to shoot out of the ground. The whole mountain began to rumble. Steam shot out from next to Bonnie's hand, nearly searing it in that moment. The ground crumbled and shook, and the lava beneath them began to bubble.

"Brock!" Max yelled out, his voice cracking. "Get everyone out of here! Dad! Get out!"

"You need to run! The whole mountain is going to blow!" Bonnie shouted. There was another explosion up above, and Bonnie looked up to see Domino running for Toll, her staff outstretched. She jabbed forward, but the man avoided it before sweeping low, like an expert agent, and knocking her legs out from under her.

"Tolbert, you tr-" Her words were cut off by Toll grabbing ahold of her head and hauling her up. It was a frightening display of strength to witness as he walked to hold her above the crater.

"Oh no, these are  _orders_ ," Tolbert said. "There's no need for you in the new world. Boss' orders, to be carried out by one of the Pillars." It was all Bonnie could do to hold on to the rocks, but she looked up to see Domino's eyes go wide with fear, tears spilling from them. Yet Tolbert looked to take no pleasure, as though it truly  _was_  a duty for him. "My apologies, but the new world has no room for sinners such as yourself. Goodbye, Domino."

Then he let go. Max averted his eyes, while Bonnie just shut them. It was only pure and simple luck that the sound of Domino's body hitting the lava was covered up by the rumbling explosion coming from beneath. Toll turned his eyes back to them as a plume of lava exploded upwards. Bonnie reached a hand up, gripping on to a rock that soon fell away.

"It's rising…" Max squeaked out. Bonnie chanced a look to see that the lava was indeed crawling up the side of the crater, slowly, but too quick for them to pull out with Toll standing above them. "We're going to die if we don't move."

"Then think of something!" Bonnie shouted. She looked up, seeing that there was no sign of Dedenne or a Crobat. Max was clearly unable to think of anything in the pressure of the moment. Toll raised his hand, placing his fingers together.

"And farewell to yourselves as well," he said, a sigh on his lips. "I would leave you to the lava but-"

Toll couldn't complete his sentence. Before he could do either that, or finish snapping his fingers, he was suddenly hit from behind, barely regaining his balance at the edge of the crater. In fact, he nearly fell off, only managing to succeed by grabbing ahold of the lip and pulling himself back up with a flip. Bonnie couldn't see who had hit the man, not until she felt something pushing her up.

"St-Stone Edge…" came the loud gasp. It was loud, sending further tremors, but Bonnie turned behind her to see numerous stones lining the crater, blocking the lava from proceeding for just a moment. Beneath their feet was a Probopass, pushing them up. "You're not…gonna hurt…anyone…"

"Rocky! You're alive!" Bonnie shouted as Probopass finished getting them up to the ledge. She looked over and saw the gasping form of the Nova Town native. He looked like he was pushing himself beyond his limits, Rhyperior right alongside him, only a fuel for vengeance in his veins keeping him going. Max had run to Gallade, unconscious, and returned him with an exhaled breath.

"Told you I'd be just fine, squirt…" Rocky breathed out, chuckling a little. He drew himself to his full height, staring over at Toll, who seemed to be regarding him differently than before. "Now, go! Get yourselves and everyone the hell out of here!"

"Rocky!" Bonnie shouted. She wanted to run to him, to help him, but the young man raised his foot and slammed it down. Rhyperior roared, and before Bonnie could stop it, stones sprung up from the ground, separating everyone from the two. Two loud noises pierced the air, like opposite airships firing up. Max was tugging on her clothes in the back, now. "Rocky, don't fight him!"

"Just go…" Rocky breathed out. Bonnie briefly looked back at Max's second tug and saw that almost the entire mountainside was clearing off, piles of Team Rocket agents laying there, wounded and stranded, only a few boarding a sleek black airship. Their own forces were also dwindled and retreating as the volcano shook, the lava level threatening to burst at any moment and consume those Aether employees that had fallen. "Damn it, Bonnie! Go! Live! If he's out there…if they survived…then you need to…need to…

"Live and find them! Find your brother, Ash, Seamus…Astrid…But just…GO!"

"Rocky!" she screamed, but allowed herself to be pulled away by Max, towards the Foundation's own airship, feet scraping along the ground as she was forced in the airship's direction. A pressure on her shoulder told her that Dedenne had returned.

"Well, I wasn't expecting an opponent that I'd face twice," Toll said, a mark of respect in his voice. "Rocky, is it? I'll remember that name."

"Yeah, remember it well. 'Cause I ain't lettin' you hurt another person. Not one!" More stones covered up the entire area, and Bonnie felt herself go numb. "If you think I'm gonna sit back and not protect the people I care about, you're dead wrong! So, I'll buy them the time they need to get out, and I'm takin' you with me! For Nova Town, and my family…I'm gonna wreck you!"

Bonnie just kept staring, watching as she was dragged on to the airship where Plumeria, the Foundation, Brock and Norman were. Bonnie briefly registered how few of them there were left, but it hardly mattered when she couldn't get the words out. All she could do was watch; watch from the air as Rocky ran at Tolbert. Watch as Camerupt exploded, and took the man with it in a great explosion that nearly eclipsed the volcanic crater itself. Watch as the lava overflowed, covering the mountainside and all those that had been left behind, with only the sight of two black shapes in the distance serving as a contrast, the larger one shooting off while a smaller hung behind as if to watch.

Then, before it was all over, there was a single explosion on the quickly drying lava that glowed its sickly yellow hue, and Bonnie knew what had happened.

Rocky was gone.

* * *

Sounds. Muffled sounds. It sounded like people talking, but he couldn't identify them.

Seconds passed, then minutes, and the voices began to grow more distinct, like they were…happy. It was a stark contrast to the last few words he had remembered hearing. Soon, they became more than just muffles, and he heard words, though none of them seemed to pertain to himself. He did pick up on other sounds, though, like those of the wind and the outside, which surprised him.

That alone caused Christopher's eyes to open, and he realized he was staring at a cracked ceiling. He blinked, the room coming into focus, though he didn't dare to sit up in that moment. He just opened his mouth and asked a rather groggy question.

"Where am I…?"

"Chris!" came the relieved voice of his wife. That, at the very least, set his mind at ease. It was even more so when she came into his vision and revealed her smiling face, tucking a strand of turquoise hair back. "You're awake…thank goodness…"

"What…what happened?" he asked. Now, he decided, it was a good idea to sit up. His back hurt, stinging with every movement, but he still felt he could move himself effectively, wiggling his fingers and toes. Things came back to him: the attack on the town, Rocky's injury, the school. He reached behind him and touched to his wound. Christopher flinched, but then he looked around the room. There was a bustling noise outside, and bright lights that indicated it was nighttime. More importantly, was that there was no one in the room but himself and Bethany. "The students? Rocky? Thea?"

"Pff, the students are just fine, and Rocky was a right sight better than you. Thea's still sleeping in another room," Bethany insisted. Her smile soon dropped off and she sighed. It seemed like there was a much longer story to tell than whatever she had shared with him. To that end, Christopher reached forward to her once more loose strand, and pushed it behind her ears with a smile. "It's been a long couple days…"

"I'd imagine," Christopher said. He finally brought himself to stand, stretching a bit, despite the pain radiating up and down his back. He stepped forward, stumbling a little until he reached the door to leave the room in the Pokémon Center. There were a lot of people there, though the most noticeable thing was the lack of ceiling in the lobby. "So…where  _is_  Rocky?"

"Oh, he went on some mission for the League. Wouldn't take no for an answer. I'm sure he'll be back with his crazy story in no time," Bethany insisted, coming to his side and gripping his hand. He noticed there were different people around than usual, but otherwise paid it no mind. The man looked past the obliterated ceiling, and at the stars twinkling in the sky, though they seemed a little dimmer by his estimation. It took him some time to notice why, but it looked like one particular star had gone out, making them all seem less bright.

"The stars are pretty cold tonight."

"Hmm," Bethany mused, joining her husband in looking up. However, in response, she merely chuckled, drawing him closer, as if to say she was glad he was awake. "I don't think so at all.

"To me, I think there was just one star that burned brighter for a second, before it went out in a moment of glory."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Rocky's dead. No fake deaths. No copouts. No deus ex Machinas. He is dead. Which was really hard for me, you know? I mean, this is a guy that's been around since Teamwork! To kill him off, especially with the Astrid subplot in the wings feels almost cruel, but necessary to me. Other than that, this was Bonnie's big chapter for her to shine. Now that she's a trainer, I wanted to give her a battle where she gets to own. Could I have involved Max some more? Sure, but I didn't want to.
> 
> Of course, there was a lot of stuff in this chapter. Team Rocket is officially beginning their strike, leading to massive casualties on both sides, though what they plan to do still remains unclear. If this is feeling a bit like an earlier story in this trilogy…it should. Also, I really wanted this subtle buildup to Rocky's almost indiscriminate death to lend an almost tragic feeling towards it. I said the body count would be high.
> 
> We're only just getting started, as is Team Rocket, and you can expect many more surprising developments in the future. Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	7. A Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even after last chapter, the story continues on, if from a different perspective. Do enjoy Chapter 7!

Chapter 7

A Chaos

She wasn't sure what had awoken her, given that nothing had changed in the slightest, but at some point, Serena was jerked from her nap aboard the helicopter, letting all the sounds surrounding her flood back into her senses. She blinked, wondering for just a second where she was, and what she was doing there. The horrible realization settled in before her companion even noted a thing, and she clutched at her chest, placing her wedding band upon the old ribbon that rested there.

"You have some drool, Miss Serena," muttered Tau's voice across from her. The honey blonde sat up, her gaze drawn outside the vehicle, the dotted lights of what looked like the Sinnoh Region passing by them. It almost looked like daylight was peaking over the hood of Mount Coronet. Taking Tau's suggestion, she used the back of her hand to wipe the drool away and shake her head. "Everything all right?"

"Mm. It was just a dream," Serena insisted. She finally took her gaze away from what was below, and looked over to Tau, the older man sitting there calmly, with one leg draped over the other. He was gracious enough to not ask what the dream had been about, though it wasn't like it was a nightmare. No, it had been pleasant…and that scared her.

It was such a simple dream, of a simple life with Ash. She closed her eyes again, her hand sliding down her chest and into her lap. Not that she didn't want a simple life with her husband, but the very thought that he had been…Serena shook her head. Those kinds of thoughts were distracting, though not any more than the words the woman in Nova Town had spoken.  _Locate our Pokémon Master a little faster._  The possibilities it presented were full of both hope and fear, the dichotomy threatening to consume Serena. Maybe Ash was alive, and if he was, she was beyond happy. The problem was that if he was alive, and Team Rocket knew it, then they were targeting him for some reason or another.

That alone scared her. More than that, however, Team Rocket's targeted strikes thus far sharply reminded her of something; something pertaining to the man sitting right across from her.

"Tau, can I ask what you think of all this?" Serena asked, opening her eyes and looking at the purple-haired man. He raised an eyebrow, like he was asking her to elaborate. "These attacks on Nova Town, key strategic places…the only thing we're missing is an attack on the League…"

"You're finding it similar to our past actions, yes?" Tau asked. Serena nodded, not wanting to beat around the bush about anything. Tau removed his leg from its position, and placed his foot on the floor of the helicopter. "I won't deny it's similar, but I believe the motives are altogether different.

"Dalton dreamed of a world where children didn't have to die needlessly, and where the League took responsibility for its actions. We live in that kind of world now, thanks to the efforts of yourself and noble Champions, like Diantha. I do think he'd be proud to see the world we live in. Team Rocket, however, doesn't care. They wish to harm as many people for the glory of their 'new world', whatever that means. I don't think it's for anyone but themselves."

"You don't think this could have been avoided, then?" Serena whispered out. She wasn't scared to ask the question, but it was something that was, and had been, forming at the back of her mind ever since she'd first seen the news on Nova Town. Tau stared across at her, blinking, for a moment. Then, he leaned forward and crossed his fingers.

"Part of me wants to say it could have been…That ARC and the League should have made it so," Tau admitted, but he shook his head just moments later. "However, I know that it was likely an impossibility. This strike, it was perfectly planned, as though it took months, possibly years of planning behind the scenes and in absolute secret. Perhaps they studied Team Neo's attack and incorporated it into their own, but no matter what, their targeted attacks have been made with amazing precision, it can't have been avoided. It was too perfectly plotted to prevent that.

"What we have to do now is mitigate the damage, and I think we're well on our way to doing that."

"Then that's good enough, for now," Serena responded, tilting her head once more to look out of the helicopter. The sun was certainly appearing now, and the lights of Veilstone City were fast approaching them. She affixed a smile to her face, glad that she had spoken with Tau to reassure her that prior to this point, there was nothing they could have done.

"Yes. And seeing your smile will make all the difference, I guarantee it," Tau added with a wink in her direction. She laughed at that, feeling lighter from it. No longer burdened by any of that, Serena looked out at Veilstone City, noticing the different sections of the city from the Pokémon Center to where the meteors sat, buried in the ground at the edge of town by a vast expanse of forest, some office buildings situated right nearby.

"Looks more peaceful than I thought it would be," Serena admitted. Tau said nothing, gazing over the area with the same perception that she had. People were getting up for the day, already, it seemed, a number of office workers making their way to the buildings near the meteors, a light, simple aircraft near one of them departing the city. They seemed to be a popular attraction, since a lot of people went out of their way to look at them. It wasn't what Serena had expected when she'd heard Team Rocket could attack here. Some of the lights darkened in the closest building as the helicopter turned, the rotors seemingly cutting its luminescence off, and that was when she saw where the vehicle was heading.

Rather, it was the loud call that alerted her.

"Serena! Hey!" Serena leaned forward more and saw Dawn down below, standing outside what looked like a Gym. There was a narrow road there, so the helicopter aimed to avoid that area, going for a more open area down the way. Dawn saw that and began to run to meet up with them. The sound changed as the vehicle touched down, and Serena opened the door to the helicopter, jumping out. The second she did, she was met by Dawn, the two clasping hands and pulling each other in for a hug. "Good to see you!"

"Yeah," Serena confirmed, drawing back as Tau now exited the helicopter. He offered a nod to Dawn, though the young woman clearly didn't know what to make of it and just offered a smile. "How have you been?"

"Ah, all right. Nice to have a vacation until all this crazy news started pouring in…" Dawn admitted scratching the back of her head. Serena noticed she wasn't wearing her beanie cap, making her hair flutter in the wind a bit. "But no need to worry!"

"Right," Serena admitted. On instinct, she moved to hook her arm with Dawn's, and the bluenette began to guide her in the direction they needed to move. The sound of the helicopter lifting off was distinctly heard, drawing some attention while drowning it out, as well. "Seems pretty peaceful here, though."

"Yeah, but everyone's still on edge," Dawn admitted, bringing them towards the Gym. No one was waiting outside, and Serena thought that they'd turn in, but they didn't. They walked slightly past it, to another house with what looked like a large yard, full of Pokémon, beyond it. "Reggie and Maylene are pretty concerned, especially with what happened here years ago."

"Do you mean Team Galactic, miss?" Tau asked, his hands behind his back. Dawn sent a beaming smile and a nod in his direction, while Serena just narrowed her eyes. She'd heard of what happened from Ash and Brock once upon a time, though it didn't answer how it correlated to the events of today, unless one said it had solely to do with meteorites. "I could understand where their concern lies."

"Yeah, but I always thought all that meteorite stuff vanished back after the battle in Geosenge, nine years ago," Dawn admitted, turning into the house. Said house was empty, it seemed, except for one room in the entire dwelling, where the sound of a television was blaring from.

"Not quite," was Tau's answer to that. "They lost their dimension opening properties was all. Gary Oak's research on that proved it quite well. They're still around, even in places like Ancien City, deep in the ground or, as evidenced here, sticking out from it. They're just…useless, now, is all…"

"Except for the fact that they're glowing," Serena pointed out. Tau shrugged, conceding the point, but their trio said nothing more as they finally reached the room of the house from which sound was coming. They pulled to a stop, and Serena looked in to stare right across at the television that was there, relaying news footage from what looked like Mount Chimney. Serena swallowed, and looked downward to the two people watching the screen: one with pink hair, and the other with a deep purple.

"Reggie, Maylene, what's going on?" Dawn asked, stepping into the room. The male turned his head back, acknowledging those that were there before answering.

"There was an eruption on Mount Chimney," he spoke. Serena immediately attempted to steady herself and her breathing.  _Bonnie…Brock…Max…Rocky…_ She stepped into the room now, attracting Reggie's attention for a second as she stared at the screen. Surely, they would be okay. Seeing her evident trepidation, Reggie turned the volume up and the voice of the reporter came into the room.

"…appears the eruption was quite extensive, covering the whole entire top of Mount Chimney," a reporter was saying, even if she wasn't seen. What  _was_  seen on the screen was footage of the volcano itself, though that seemed more off than anything to Serena. It wasn't flowing lava and magma, but rather like another heated layer of rock over the surface. "However, by the time this reporter arrived on the scene shortly after the event, the lava had already ceased its flow. Local scientists are already flocking to Mount Chimney to try and explain what happened."

"No need to worry, I guess…?" Dawn asked, adding a nervous chuckle to the end of it. Her brief exhale at the end belied her own worry. "Maybe they'll contact us when they have the chance."

"Y-yeah," Serena breathed out as well. Whatever had happened at Mount Chimney in those early hours was going to be a mystery for now. All they could possibly do was focus on whatever was going to happen  _here_. A hand was placed on Serena's shoulder, and she looked to Tau.

"Let's take solace: our predictions were right," he pointed out. It was a very small sliver of hope in the midst of everything surrounding them, but Serena was willing to take it. There could be no doubt that Bonnie and the others had managed to get away from the site of the eruption. Now, however, they knew Veilstone was likely next on the list and they had to focus their efforts here. "The oddity is how easily the lava cooled, so I can only imagine it had to do with whatever they were doing there to make it erupt in the first place."

"Like the meteors?" Dawn asked with a near imperceptible roll of her eyes. Tau didn't respond, as though he didn't wish to commit to any one particular line of thought. Serena felt that was best for the moment; in this dire situation, assuming anything would be the death of them. "Well, if Team Rocket comes here, we'll just stop them!"

"Lup!" Piplup called out, now waddling into view from what looked like a kitchen. Serena was surprised the penguin hadn't been with Dawn before, though the cookie in his flippers explained that.

"Whenever they get here," Maylene commented. The television suddenly shut off, with Reggie placing a remote down, while the pinkette stood and stretched her limbs. "I've got some people sitting on the meteorites and all that."

"And the others?" Serena asked, this time directing her question right at Reggie. The young man stretched his legs out from the couch and then proceeded to stand, looking towards Serena. She had only met him twice, at her wedding and then a battle between Ash and Paul a year or so ago, and he had certainly been as kind as claimed. So, seeing the contemplative and harsh lines on his face was almost disturbing, in a sense.

"Paul still has his battle this morning, but called to say he'd be right over as soon as he was done."

"That's surprising," Dawn said in a huff. She stepped back, leaning against the wall. Piplup decided to climb up and sit on her shoulder, still munching upon his cookie. Now that Serena was watching him, he seemed a little sad; the news of Ash's disappearance, and thus Pikachu, must have hit him hard. As the penguin looked up, catching sight of Serena, she smiled at him, which seemed to perk him up. "I thought Paul was always 'Only if my Pokémon get stronger'."

"He is, but this is still his home," Reggie told them with a slight laugh at Dawn's impersonation. "He says all his Pokémon are here, and if Team Rocket wants to attack, they'll have to deal with him."

"And it would be good training for them, right?" Dawn added with a sly expression. Reggie shrugged at that suggestion while Serena exhaled. She turned away from the room. If Paul would be here later in the day, then she presumed that Alain and Sawyer were already on their way. Walking towards the doors that led to the backyard, Serena reached up and ran a hand through her hair, Tau at her side.

Just outside, in the backyard, were numerous Pokémon. Some of them looked unfamiliar with the area while others, like a Magmortar and Aggron, were relaxing or just waking up for the day. It certainly was peaceful, and Serena took a second to let herself breathe. Tau said nothing, glancing to the backyard as well. Hushed voices from the living room showed that Dawn, Reggie and Maylene had continued their conversation.

"Maybe it can just stay peaceful here, huh?" Serena joked out, though she couldn't shake the ominous feeling from inside of her bones. Tau chuckled out next to her, but said nothing. They both knew.

It was like a deep breath before the plunge. The silence before the storm.

And all too soon, the storm came.

The ground rumbled, pitching Tau to the side, stumbling into the wall that Serena braced herself against instantly. It seemed like just a momentary shuddering, except for the glow that now pervaded the air. Gone was the peaceful, rising sun, replaced with an all too disturbing indigo glow. It washed over the entire atmosphere, and the Pokémon suddenly reacted in the backyard. The ones that Serena supposed were Paul's Pokémon perked up, looking ready for action, while others seemed to turn away, in the direction of the meteorites. Serena also did, even if it was towards the front door of the house, showing that the shining color was spreading all over the city.

"That was no explosion," Tau pointed out, his hand already gripping to a pokeball. Serena had to agree; it was too short, too brief, and too embedded in the land to be anything explosion or earthquake related. "It seemed more like a trigger being pulled."

"Everyone still okay?" Dawn's voice yelled out from the living room. Her hand flung around to grip the wall and pull herself up, her face coming into view while Piplup tumbled off, his remaining cookie breaking to pieces.

"Lup lup piiiiip!" Piplup chirped out, sounding upset. Serena straightened herself further, quickly checking to see that Dawn and Piplup were okay before dashing for the door. Tau was right on her heels, the duo almost immediately breaking out into the main roads as the nearby phone in the house began to ring shrilly.

People were standing outside, those few that were already awake for the day, muttering and looking all around them. Serena glanced upwards, towards the sun, but realized it was still the same color that it had always been. Nothing had changed in that regard, which meant the glow was truly coming from the city itself. There were no further tremors, and Serena was turning and twisting in multiple directions until Tau tapped her on the shoulder, just as Dawn emerged from the house. All three faced in the direction that Tau was pointing, to the deep blue glow shooting up into the air from the direction of the meteorites.

"Guess we're heading that way, huh?" Dawn spoke up, drawing even with the two of them. Serena looked to her, and the young woman nodded, giving a thumbs up.

"No need to worry?" the honey blonde asked.

"You got it!" Dawn insisted. Tau brushed past them, clearly already focused on their destination, as opposed to where they were. Serena took that as an indication to join him, though Dawn all too quickly took the lead. Knowing the streets well enough, the bluenette was expertly able to maneuver themselves through the street's twists and turns.

More people were stepping outside now, staring at the area and the large, glowing beam that was coming closer. Said beam was shrinking, it's brightness fading away a little bit, as though it were some bizarre, reverse, slow-motion lightning strike. It was growing closer, now, though, and the area was opening up more, revealing a wide open plain with a collection of the meteorites in the ground that stretched to the forest beyond.

There was nothing there, though. Just the glowing meteorites and the two burly men that were Maylene's running from the site with confusion, talking into phones.

"Um…" Dawn's footsteps slowed, and Serena looked to her as she drew even. The young woman looked confused, but there was concern, as well. Serena shared in that, wondering why there was nothing of note there. Piplup looked up, facing towards the trees lining the edge of the area. Tau was facing in the opposite direction, and it was that direction which Serena looked to: that of the office building.

"The lights…" the older man said, the lines on his face becoming more pronounced. Serena squinted, peering through the glow that was still receding. He was right. Where once there were bright lights and people streaming in, there was now darkness, and not a single person entering or leaving. Tau shot off, running forward for the building. Dawn was still staring at the meteorites, her finger on her chin while she considered them, only giving a brief double take to the men that had likely finished their panicked call to Maylene. Figuring she'd leave Dawn to it, Serena raced after Tau for the nearby building.

The closer she got to the building, the louder a sound she heard. It seemed like an engine running, but there was nothing nearby, making Serena wonder if she was just hearing things. She slowed as she and Tau reached the building, climbing the steps that led to the double glass doors. Both were on high alert, holding to their pokeballs in case of a sudden fight to be had. Tau reached them first, and pushed the doors open to reveal what would have been a spotless inside.

Would have been…except for the bodies strewn around the building. Serena's eyes widened, and she took a single step backwards, while Tau moved forwards to examine the space that they were in. Clutching at her chest, Serena looked back outside, seeing that Dawn had moved towards the meteorites now. The thrumming noise was louder, as if a mismatched frequency was sounding out.

"Dead," Tau noted. Serena snapped her look back to him just as he was feeling for a pulse on one of the people there. "Looks like it was sudden, and painless. Just a quick execution for some of them. Like an assassination of sorts…like Azalea Town's reports…The others…seem like they were just…cut apart."

"That's disturbing," Serena said, her face twisting itself with disgust. Tau grunted a little and made to stand, moving over to a receptionist's desk, which appeared to be empty, though the computer was still running. Serena stepped over the body that was there and walked over to join the man as he turned it fully on. "Are you trying to access security cameras?"

"'Trying' is the operative word here. Chi is much better at this than I am," Tau told her, clicking on a few things to bring up footage. Serena leaned over to watch the black and white screen, full of milling people in normal business suits, seeming to be at the start of the day. Tau sat back a bit, merely watching.

It seemed a normal office building with everyone running in to start their day, drinking coffee or sharing some papers with each other, and Serena couldn't figure out exactly what they were even looking for in that moment. Thankfully, it didn't take long before there was movement on the screen, four figures emerging into the main hall some hours earlier. Had it just been three, Serena wouldn't have been suspicious, but the fourth was far more obvious.

"That's…that Alastair from Team Rocket," Serena noted in a hushed whisper. Tau's face tightened, and he kept watching until, suddenly, the feed got cut off, replacing the images with static.

"And I recognize the other three from our Special Operations division's intel…Doctor Zager, Agent Pierce and the organization's secretary, Matori," Tau commented. He looked up now, surveying the building once more. "This was a Team Rocket base of operations…"

Serena looked up in surprise at that, staring at all of the accumulated bodies in the space. If this had been a stealthy Team Rocket base, it could have only meant a few things, and they were obviously conclusions that Tau was reaching as he stepped away from the computer. For one, it proved the older man's words that this had been a long game to play if they had taken the time to establish a base in Veilstone City. But the other, and far more disturbing conclusion, was… "If these are all their members…why are they all dead?"

"And who killed them?" Tau voiced, as well. It was certainly something to ponder, given what appeared to be a massacre in the building. Had it been a part of the plan? Some other mysterious organization? Was that what had caused the light to appear from the meteors, considering that everything seemed fine when they had arrived? There were so many questions, and little in the way of answers. Then, Tau proposed another one. "I would guess that the secretary departed on the aircraft earlier to return to their base, but Zager and Pierce also left the site, and judging from the meteorites, this was the base of operations…so…where are  _they_ , and what are they doing?"

"The humming," Serena acknowledged. Tau looked at her, his eyes widening as he did so, realizing what she was referring to. Neither wasted a second, gripping their pokeballs and tossing them high. The explosion of light was matched only by a sudden blasting of the windows in the building. Glass shattered around them and Serena put her arms up to make sure none of the shards cut her face. A few nicked her on the arms before the blue shield was erected, bouncing the rest back harmlessly. "An explosion?"

"Not this time, either, it would seem," Tau commented harshly. Serena lowered her arms and looked up. It certainly hadn't been an explosion, but instead a group of wild Pokémon, their eyes glowing red. At first, it seemed to be rage, but Serena quickly figured that it wasn't the case; they were far too calm for that. "Yes, I thought so, too. They're being controlled."

Serena shifted her foot, Sylveon in front of her with her feelers writhing. None of the Pokémon that were there attacked or moved, simply scanning the area, the Bibarel and Kricketot all looking the area over. Serena stepped over to Tau, his Skuntank ready to attack at a moment's notice. None of those Pokémon seemed fully aware of their presence, like they were looking for something…or more like checking. The unsettling sickness rose in Serena when she realized they were checking for  _survivors_.

"I'm going to cover us in a Smokescreen, just in case," Tau suddenly hissed. One of the Bibarel perked up, almost like it heard him. "Then we run. Can you handle defense if they give chase?"

"Yes," Serena whispered out. Sylveon's feeler snaked upwards, indicating that she had heard their plan, as well. One of the Kricketot stopped and looked at them, letting out a jingling sound. "I think we should do it now…"

"Agreed. Skuntank!" Tau shouted, no longer needing the cover of silence. Serena reached up and pinched her nose immediately while Skuntank opened its mouth. Smoke belched from it, swirling around them as the Pokémon's noises increased. They had found their living target. Under the cover of the smoke, Serena and Tau ran, Sylveon trailing just behind them as the incensed sounds of the Pokémon sounded out. "We'd known Team Rocket had obtained control technology from that scientist Colress many years back…but…this level of organization and control is insane…"

"I don't think it matters what for!" Serena yelled out. A Water Gun was fired from one of the Bibarel, striking the side of the entrance wall. It was stronger than Serena would have thought, as chunks of the drywall flew off. Thankfully, they had been close enough to the door to jump out onto the streets of Veilstone City. Another Water Gun shot out, but Sylveon rapidly blocked it.

"Guess they weren't just sent  _there_ ," Tau commented, prompting Serena to look up at the area. She grimaced. The building certainly hadn't been the only site of the Pokémon swirling and swarming. In fact, they seemed to be all over the place: in the air, on the ground, emerging from the forests. Like an army of Pokémon, similar to the battle against DARC, they seemed to be converging on a point.

No…not converging… _intersecting_.

"Dawn!" Serena yelled out, watching as the Pokémon began to grapple with one another above the meteorites, covering it all up like a screen that prevented visibility regarding anything else. There was nothing in her way at first, and Serena ran forward. A loud screech filled the air, a Staravia divebombing towards her. "Fairy Wind!"

"Veon!" Sylveon shouted, whipping her feelers out and sending the pink tinged wind blasting outward to the Staravia. The attack blew it back, allowing Serena the chance to run forward. The humming sound returned, merely diluted by the sound of all the swarming Pokémon. Now that Tau had pointed it out, it was obvious as to how they were moving in a very sharp and controlled fashion. That was what made it so disturbing that the Pokémon were fighting  _each other_.

"Now, Swift! Tau, are you-?" Serena asked, turning back to her companion. He wasn't answering, too busy sending a command for Skuntank to send its Acid Spray all around, in order to deter their attackers. Realizing he was too busy to respond at all, Serena faced back to the Pokémon and the site of meteorites. Sylveon's golden stars impacted with the Pokémon in her way and Serena dashed into the thicket. The humming grew louder, though now it was from two separate directions, causing Serena to look up as the sun was blotted out. "Well, that's good…"

"Serena, time to worry! A little help! Hydro Pump!" Dawn's voice shouted out. Serena couldn't yet see her in the midst of the marauding Pokémon, and was forced to only use the oddly glowing meteorites as a guide to find her friend. It helped that, moments later, a loud cry from her Piplup was followed by a burst of water to Serena's left. Sylveon turned right away as a roar pierced the air, a Flamethrower exploding up towards the sky.

"Serena, hey! Sorry we're late!" yelled a voice that was unmistakably Sawyer's. Serena looked upwards as Sylveon began to split into multiple copies all over the place, each one whipping up a gale that scattered their obstacles. The green-haired boy above threw a pokeball out, Sceptile emerging with a cry.

"Took us longer to get going than we thought, though this is problematic," Alain grunted. His Charizard finally hovered down, depositing the two trainers upon the ground. Both of the Pokémon acted without their trainer's authority, slicing with a Leaf Blade and sending a Flamethrower into the opposition; neither of the young men seemed to mind. Alain, for his part, instantly noticed the meteorites. "Just like in Nova…?"

"More or less, I guess," Serena pointed out. She pointed over towards the office building. "Then there's a whole building of dead Team Rocket operatives."

"That's weird," Sawyer commented. Serena could already see that analytical side of his brain firing at a lightning quick speed, endeavoring to figure out what the best play for the situation was. Serena would have left him to it, but the more pressing issue was the sight of Dawn, ordering for Piplup to use a Countershield through the maze of enemies. "One would think…"

"Sylveon, Swift, now!" Serena ordered, plunging her hand forward. Sylveon snapped her feelers out again and sent the golden stars rocketing out. Alain clearly liked that battle plan.

"Dragon Claw!" he shouted. Charizard flapped his wings, taking to the air as his claws extended with a bright green. Then he slashed through at the hole Sylveon had formed in the opposition's ranks. The Pokémon tumbled away. They seemed to freeze, as though receiving new orders or some such. Whatever it was, Serena took the chance to run through the gap that had formed, Alain at her side, dragging Sawyer along.

"Dawn, what happened out here?" Serena asked, coming to a stop next to the bluenette just beyond their foes, while Sylveon joined at Piplup's side. Dawn reached back, tying her hair into a ponytail.

"I wanted to look more at the meteorites when the Pokémon started attacking," Dawn said to her. Serena faced forward. The Pokémon all seemed to be relaxing a short distance away and Serena sharpened her focus. Somehow, she didn't think the Pokémon were the real problem at this point. "Okay, now it just got weird…"

"Lup…" Piplup sighed out, sounding tired from having battled the numerous opponents. Alain stepped up, Sawyer right with him as they peered through the forces. Next to her, she could practically feel Alain's fist clenching tightly, as though he sensed a presence. Serena looked to Dawn.

"Do you remember how many meteorites there were?" she asked of her friend. Dawn's lips twisted in thought. Alain was further tensing, just the same as Sawyer. It was clear they felt something approaching that wasn't a Pokémon…and wasn't friendly. "Not really, but I know they're pretty much all behind us, except for one."

"There's nothing in the forest?"

"Not that I remember," Dawn stated. That was a good enough answer, as it meant, if the meteorites were the source of an attack, then there would only be one up ahead they'd need to get to. "The real problem is the Pokémon, though."

"We can leave you two to deal with them," Sawyer commented, reaching up to his waistcoat pocket, still a fashion choice he chose to exhibit to this day. There was no doubt he was grabbing his keystone. Sceptile and Charizard both closed in as the figure, looking almost smoky in the darkened forest's sunrise, continued to approach. "There's probably somebody controlling these Pokémon with a device or something, and I doubt it would belong to the one doing the dirty work on the battlefield. They're probably hiding in the forest."

"I also doubt there's anything but Pokémon out here for the attack," Alain growled out, rubbing at his bracelet. "We'd have seen them by now if there was."

"So get going," Sawyer insisted. Sceptile's elbows glowed green, its leafy blade extending threateningly to whatever force was about to approach. "Those Pokémon are only clearing for whoever is coming here. We'll hold off the meteorite until you can shut it down. Then we'll take them in and get some information in the meantime!"

"Always thinking ahead, aren't you, Sawyer?" Serena asked, reaching over to clap her friend on the back. Dawn cracked her knuckles, looking almost menacing. A loud sound from outside the barrier of Pokémon sounded out, and Serena figured that more trainers had joined into the battle from the city. Their window was closing. "Dawn, let's do it."

"Yeah. Piplup, Whirlpool! Make us a better path!" Dawn shouted, pointing her finger forward as her ponytail flew out behind her. Piplup leapt into the air, spinning around as he was wrapped in a spinning vortex of water. It traveled upwards, into his hands, and then he tossed it right on the open path. The spinning didn't stop, but as it collided, it caused the Pokémon caught in its path to be washed out further to the sides. Neither of the young women waited for it to fade, already running to get to their destination.

A shadowy form leapt out of the path of the attack, bounding for the trees that were slammed by the excess water. Serena looked up towards it as she and Dawn ran forward, and quickly caught sight of the dark-haired man hanging from the branch there. He looked just like the man from the security camera, the one Tau had called Pierce. For a moment, Serena paused, looking up at him, though his eyes were focused more on a point beyond her: the meteorite. In his hands, flying up and down, was a small shard of something, jagged and broken.

"Sceptile, Frenzy Plant!" Sawyer's call immediately alerted Serena to what she needed to do, and she ran forward to close the distance that had now appeared between herself and Dawn.

"Tile!" Sceptile roared out, plunging his claws into the ground. Even so far away, Serena could feel the ground churn and break apart. Vines erupted, aiming right for the tree where Pierce was, but the man seemed far too nimble, swinging off the tree and landing on the ground, away from the zone of the Frenzy Plant. Sceptile swept outward, his tail aiming for Pierce.

"Flamethrower!" Alain called out. Neither had Mega Evolved their Pokémon, though it seemed relatively inconsequential. Charizard roared forward, his red-hot flames rocketing out for the top operative of Team Rocket.

"Inconsequential," Serena heard the man say coldly. She kept moving, but turned her head back and saw Pierce flip backwards, up to another row of trees as the Flamethrower scorched itself across the ground. Alain and Sawyer came to stand next to one another.

"Dragon Claw!" they yelled simultaneously. Sceptile dashed along the ground nimbly while Charizard approached from the air. Both had their claws glowing green as they converged upon Pierce. Once they had, they slashed. Pierce once again jumped into the air, landing nimbly upon Charizard's back. Alain had something to say about that. "Shake him off!"

"Rawr!" Charizard roared, pitching to the side in an effort to remove the operative. Serena took one more look, just in time to see Pierce expertly drop off, grabbing a thin rope and tying it to Charizard's leg, almost like a rappel that allowed him to hit the ground harmlessly. Sceptile was running at him with glowing green blades.

Finally, Serena knew she couldn't watch them any longer, quickly running for Dawn. The second after they met up together, the air changed, and Serena's voice called itself to action. "Protect!"

"Piplup, Bubblebeam!" Dawn shouted as well. The two women stopped their movements, drawing their backs against one another while their Pokémon acted. Just as detected, the marauding Pokémon all moved in, the Staravia streaking towards them with Aerial Ace while some other Pokémon charged at them on the ground.

"Piplupluplup!" Piplup cried out. Sylveon's shield wrapped around their group, while Piplup remained on the outside, sending a cascade of bubbles into all of their attackers and forcing them back with a bit of steam rising in the air. Under the cover of the assault, Serena decided to finally, and quickly, discuss their next course of action with Dawn.

"That agent…his name is Pierce. Tau told me," the honey blonde said to her friend. "That means, assuming the footage is right, he's here with Doctor Zager of Team Rocket, who I'd imagine is the one controlling all the Pokémon. Alastair might be with him, too."

"Alastair?" Dawn asked. Serena shook her head, feeling the explanation would take far too long, especially when she wasn't even sure she was correct on that count. Dawn appeared to take it in stride, making sure her ponytail was secure. "Then this Zager guy, he's probably with whatever is controlling them, inside the forest, right?"

"Probably," Serena answered, though she didn't explicitly know for sure. Dawn didn't appear to mind, reaching out to grab Serena's hand with both of hers. Serena responded in kind, the two feeding off of one another's determination and positivity. "Worth a shot, right?"

"Can't get anything without taking a chance. We can leave those two to deal with that Pierce guy. In the meantime…Pachirisu!" Dawn called, throwing up another pokeball. It burst with light, showing the adorable little EleSquirrel Pokémon, who instantly perked up, like it sensed some electrical waves. "Think that helps us out. Pachirisu, lead the way!"

"Sylveon, protect us!" Serena said. Sylveon dropped the shield, instantly whipping her feelers out and sending the stars cascading outwards to blast away their landlocked attackers. It knocked them back while the women went running off again. Pachirisu was leading the way, charging into the forest while Piplup waddled behind, sending a Hydro Pump or Ice Beam out whenever he had the chance.

There was another loud sound in the background, and the ground appeared to tremble a bit. Alain and Sawyer must have really been going at it to defeat Pierce, and from what Serena had seen, the special operative didn't even require any Pokémon to do his job. It was an amazing technical skill, no doubt from years of training his body with someone that was likely an expert, but Serena turned her mind forward. The humming sound was returning, invading their senses, and the air was changing yet again.

Gone was the immensely heavy hostility from the Pokémon, a number of them lost in the brush of the forest, with some of them now almost inert, judging from the lack of sounds. The ground shook again, nearly sending Dawn forward, were it not for Serena catching her. Another scent entered Serena's nose, and it was one that Dawn seemed to notice as well, from the way her nose was twitching. It smelled like…fuel. Both of them raised their fingers up, as if to tell themselves to remain silent as they slowly approached the sight of where the fuel smell was coming from. Pachirisu was slowing down now, its figure drawing in. Dawn bent down to pick her Pokémon up.

"Is the signal up ahead?" the bluenette whispered. Pachirisu nodded, which proved to be enough for Dawn, as she returned it. Sylveon snaked her feelers up Serena's arms, and the two drew in towards the trees, aiming to remain unseen. Inching forward, the smell grew more intense, as did the hum, like an engine of sorts that was whirring. Soon, the smell became overwhelming, and they stopped, looking out to a small clearing in the center of the border forest. No…not quite a clearing, as Serena soon noticed how trees were toppled in a ring, like they were sliced down but recently for whatever mission was going on here.

The air was rippling nearby, straight through the clearing, like a heat haze that was consuming the area. It was only the sight of the people that were actually in the clearing that she realized it wasn't heat or shimmering air, but a cloaking that was surrounding a decent sized airship. Certainly nothing on the former Aether Turbo or Mark Omega, but larger than the aircraft that had taken away Team Rocket's secretary earlier, and definitely large enough to ferry a decent amount of Team Rocket operatives. Having perceived what was there, Serena looked down to the gaggle of grunts, only three of them, that were near to Alastair, and the one that she believed to be Doctor Zager.

"How are the readings, doctor?" Alastair was asking, almost making Serena hold her breath from the sound of it. There was no way she was getting caught now, and Dawn seemed to place her hands over her own mouth for the same exact reason. Zager appeared to bristle a bit, adjusting the monocle on his face.

"Unclear," Zager explained, his hands busy smoothing his lab coat. The grunts near them appeared bored, yawning a bit while walking to keep their eyes on the surroundings. "Until I get back to headquarters and examine the data, it will remain that way. Though, we'll also need the fragment back from Pierce after he runs his own test to further confirm."

"I figured as much," Alastair stated. His head turned, looking right at where Serena and Dawn were in the shadows of the forest, and Serena felt herself suck her lips in. Had he noticed them? His turning back to the scientist moments later indicated he hadn't, though Serena didn't let herself relax at all. "Matori merely informed me before her departure for the home base that Giovanni wanted to confirm it was the case. Otherwise, I would have moved on to preparing the next site, assuming Giovanni doesn't send his efficient secretary first, of course."

"Yes, yes, I know," Zager waved off. The man's face seemed to hold some sense of excitement there, but he was fully absorbed in his work, cutting off the reality otherwise around him. "Ever since the secondary property was discovered, knowing that it resonates with the meteorites…Yes, perhaps calling it the Alpha  _is_  appropriate. Though, again, to ensure everything is going right, I'll need-"

"The lab," Alastair sighed out tiredly. He shoved his hands in his trench coat pockets and leaned back. His action confirmed what Serena already suspected, as he was soon leaning against the air and doing little more while he crossed his legs. It would have been unsettling if Serena hadn't figured out that there was a cloaked airship there. "Shame we couldn't move things along sooner until Louise definitively confirmed the reaction at Mount Chimney. I'd have hoped the locations before would do the trick, but she's always been hands-on for her own little experiments."

"Perhaps," Zager chuckled out, his white, bushy hair swaying in a wind that now swept through the clearing. It wasn't a natural wind, Serena figured, as there was more heat to it than what would have been expected, indicating that it was likely from Charizard. "Still, this is the first location we've been able to study the meteorites themselves for some time undisturbed, compared to the others, all in preparation for this long-term mission. The Pillars have most assuredly been very beneficial in setting things up, and now that Giovanni will be informed of our work being completed here ahead of time, things will move all the smoother."

"We try," Alastair remarked. His eyes once more flitted back over to the trees as his own hair bristled in the wind. He made no remark. Serena turned to Dawn.

"Maybe if we control that doctor's control console, we can stop the Pokémon?" Dawn asked worriedly. Serena didn't answer, not having one at all. "Or, at least, it could hamper their mission in some way."

"It's worth a try, but Alastair is the one to look out for," Serena said, pointing towards the leaning man. Dawn craned her neck to get a good view of him, and shivered a little upon the very same sight of him. He certainly radiated a confidence that the other Rocket members didn't seem to have (especially their old stalkers, Serena remembered, biting back on the snort). Perhaps that was what Zager meant by "Pillars" when it came to referring to him, and others. At the very least, it was a piece of information about Team Rocket that none had known before, even when they had known of people as high up as the boss'  _secretary_  (which, in hindsight, Serena realized that that woman's earlier presence alone indicated how large this operation truly was for the organization).

"We'll need to move together, and quickly," Dawn said, looking serious as she glanced to Piplup. Serena agreed, taking note of the grunts; they would be easy enough to defeat, making the primary goal taking out the console, and stopping the attack. "Together on three?"

"On three," Serena confirmed, reaching over to slap the back of her hand with Dawn's. The two women crouched, with the bluenette holding up three fingers. She started counting down, but Serena's eyes didn't leave the form of Alastair. They only had one chance. Dawn's hand dropped to one, and Serena readied herself.

"Doctor Zager, form ranks," Alastair suddenly said. He was no longer leaning, but standing ramrod straight, a harsh look upon his face. Serena froze, turning to Dawn. He  _had_  to have sensed them there, though how he knew they were about to strike…

"Blast Burn!" Serena's head whipped around quickly, hurting her neck a bit, but hearing the sudden command, one she couldn't have even guessed would be coming, she dove to the side, bringing Dawn with her. That sole movement brought her out of the path of the flames that were churning along the ground. It was breaking up, making a beeline for the console that Zager was working at. The scientist, himself, looked utterly unfettered as he moved a laptop up. At the same moment, Aegislash came soaring in, locking in its shield and forming a honeycomb barrier that Alain's Blast Burn impacted with. The ground bubbled with fire, lifting the three grunts from the ground and into the airship, knocking them out, though neither Zager nor Alastair looked perturbed.

"I'd suggest you do it now," Alastair said. "I'll prepare the ship for departure, yes?"

"Yes. Best we return to headquarters. Presumably, Giovanni should have everything ready to analyze with Matori's report, all to move forward on the next phase. I'll wait here for Pierce, a moment, however. He'll have to oversee packing up the base here and bringing the operatives there back to headquarters," Zager spoke. Alastair nodded, and Aegislash unsheathed itself, following after its trainer. The man's trench coat flapped out behind him as he approached the front of the airship, pressing a panel. Said panel sent a chain reaction going that revealed the ship, jet black and emblazoned with the R on the side that said who it belonged to. "Oh, and if you can, contact Louise en route. I do believe her theory was needing Ash Ketchum to complete experiments, correct?"

"Oh…yes," Alastair noted, and then he disappeared. Serena turned her head, looking at Dawn with wide eyes. It hadn't just been a flippant comment, but almost sounded rather… _knowing_. Perhaps the scientist didn't know Ash's location, or perhaps he didn't even know what had happened in Nova Town (though that seemed entirely unlikely). But his words had been chosen, and spoke to the fact that maybe, just maybe, there was a clue to Ash's whereabouts at the Team Rocket headquarters. That maybe one of them, one of those higher up like Zager or the Pillars, would know.

"Thunder Punch!"

"Leaf Storm!" Alain and Sawyer's voices rang out, disturbing the air. A rocket practically fired forward, swirling with leaves for Zager's location. The man still looked undisturbed, punching in some keys on his laptop. There was movement in the trees, and Serena looked to see both Sawyer and Alain running through the forest, their Sceptile and Charizard, respectively, right in front of them, both Mega Evolved.

"Doctor," Pierce's deep voice rumbled out. Both of the women in the trees looked to see the blue haired man narrowly escape Charizard's electrified punch in order to run over to Zager, still clutching his small fragment. "Did you register the reaction?"

"There were tremors," Zager admitted, snatching the object from Pierce. A loud, guttural, churning noise filled the air, and the airship that was on the ground suddenly lit up, the trees behind its engines nearly bending over from the force of it. Serena's body and breath were speeding up: that airship was heading to the Team Rocket headquarters, possibly the only place to get information about Ash.

Take the chance to infiltrate.

Or stay and fight.

It was a choice that was difficult, as each had its merits. From the start of the engine, there was more rustling in the trees, and Pokémon burst out of them, like a protective shield, including a Staraptor that swiftly moved in to intercept the Leaf Storm. Serena's fist clenched, and Dawn almost screeched a little at the Pokémon slithering across the ground, towards where Zager was. They seemed to ignore the duo entirely, moving solely to act like a bulwark for Zager, protecting him until he could reach the airship.

"Aura Sphere, Lucario!" shouted the voice of Maylene.

"And Shadow Ball!" That was Tau's voice, no doubt about it. Serena's nails began to dig into the surface of her hand, still debating and wrestling with the decision in her mind. Dawn watched her, looking concerned. The attacks flew out, slamming into the Pokémon that were making a protective wall. Serena's eyes closed, grappling with it.

"Pierce, take care of this, and get the base cleaned up. Return to headquarters when you're ready. Giovanni and myself may yet have more missions for you," Zager said, snapping his laptop shut and running off for the airship that Alastair had started, or so Serena had guessed. More crashing through the trees indicated that their secondary reinforcements had arrived.

Serena's eyes snapped open, and she knew, as everything moved fast.

The airship closed its doors, beginning to rise.

Charizard sailed in, slamming with a Thunder Punch upon the console that was left behind. It exploded, leaving smoke curdling into the air.

Sceptile slammed his hands into the ground, the large roots springing up as Skuntank was running forward, exuding its putrid smell that happened to catch Pierce off guard.

The Pokémon that had been attacking stopped for a second, and while some seemed to slink off, others let out a loud cry and began to thrash about indiscriminately. That sole distraction allowed the roots to finally slam into the prone Team Rocket agent, knocking him against the side of the airship, just like the grunts. The forms of Maylene, Reggie and Tau appeared in clearing, with Lucario rushing to leap upon Pierce and hold him down with a Bone Rush.

Things were more than handled here. Serena sprung to her feet, took a single deep breath and rushed forward, dashing out of the woods. She wasn't alone, either, with Dawn trailing right at her side, having picked up Piplup in her arms. Not that the honey blonde went unnoticed, as she was certain she heard Tau calling for her. None of that mattered in the mess of chaos though. As the Pokémon were going berserk, firing off attacks randomly or attacking anyone and anything in range from the loss of control they had been put under, Serena slipped into the crowd, aiming right for the airship, and what looked like a backdoor that was now visible due to the decloaking.

"Sylveon!" she called, and the Intertwining Pokémon understood. Her feelers snapped upwards, right for that door, just a small crack revealed as she pulled. They strained, but the airship was just low enough to hook into it, and as Serena and Dawn grabbed hold of her, the Fairy type pulled them up. Serena's hands dug into the door, and with Dawn's assistance, the two pulled it open.

Just as they got inside, closing the door behind them without a sound of alarm, the airship took off, rocketing through the air at a moderate speed for Team Rocket's headquarters. For where answers could be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was actually one of the most difficult chapters for me to write, so I kind of hope that it turned out all right. There were a lot of moving pieces here and a lot of little hints at things dropped. I've kind of enjoyed bringing in older Team Rocket characters to serve a role (even if it's just a role of keeping Giovanni informed like Matori, or not even battling, like Pierce) while bringing in the new characters as well. Originally, this was going to be pretty similar to the last chapter, but I didn't want that, so the focus became less on the battle and more on this sort of mystery angle, with quite an ending! Serena and Dawn, on their way to Team Rocket headquarters; the belly of the beast.
> 
> There are a lot of moving plot points this time, and I hope that I'm presenting them all solidly so there's no excess confusion beyond what should be confusing. I've had a harder time getting into this with all the start and stop, but I think it's about to get easier, and even more exciting than the pace has already presented.
> 
> With the plot moving apace, and so many things in so many different directions, I hope you'll all hold on with me. Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	8. A Strike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps a bit more boring than the last chapters, but with a setup for the future that will allow this story to continue on at a quick pace. Time for Chapter 8!

Chapter 8

A Strike

"Skuntank, Acid Spray! Debilitate the attacking ones," Tau called out. The trees and wind were whipping around them all from the flight of the airship and its liftoff. It almost felt like gravity pushing on them, threatening to topple their entire group in that moment, though each of them held fast, digging their heels into the ground. Skuntank held the best, alongside Alain's Charizard, the black dragon slamming its feet deeper into the ground than the others.

"Tank!" Skuntank acknowledged, leaning its head upwards, towards the Staravia that were streaking down with a powerful Brave Bird. Its mouth opened, and an orange globule formed near its jaw. Then it burst forward in stream. Skuntank turned its head quickly, whipping the spray around all over the place, and into the flock of Starling Pokémon. They careened off, landing on the ground with thuds. Tau strode further into the clearing, noticing the prone forms of the collapsed Team Rocket grunts.

"Sceptile, Frenzy Plant! Protect us!" yelled the voice of Sawyer, the green haired man clasping his hands together and then separating them. Sceptile cried out as the wild Pokémon all around them behaved frenetically. Tau dodged, nearly missing an assault from a Combee, and he turned his gaze under his shoulder to see Reggie hanging back, touching to a Bidoof and calming it down.

"Scept!" Sceptile roared, his hands plunging into the ground. The vines and roots whipped outward, circling and writhing like the all too familiar Countershield strategy that Tau had seen Ash and all his friends utilize at least once in old tournament footage. The vines beat around the area, the chaos of the Pokémon surrounding them making it near impossible to see, even in the wide-open clearing. Charizard pulled back to Alain's side, while Tau straightened to face Reggie.

"I don't see Dawn," the male spoke to Tau. The leader of Alpha Squad turned, glancing around the clearing. It was true: the bluenette seemed to be nowhere around the area. Tau sighed loudly, realizing just where the young woman had gone in the mess and chaos that had resulted in Zager's departure.

"No doubt far out of our reach," Tau commented to Reggie, the gale of the now departed airship ceasing. Said man cast him a confusing glance while the Frenzy Plant continued to whip around rapidly, beating away the Pokémon. In response, Tau pointed upward, which most certainly answered Reggie's question, owing to the dawning look of enlightenment on his face. "For now, the greater issue is all these Pokémon. Serena and I guessed that they were being controlled."

"Whatever it was that did it, that's no longer an issue," Reggie answered. A bright burst of light came from over the top of the trees, the sun finally fully rising to say hello to the air. Reggie finished what he was relaying to them. "I was able to calm down some Bidoof easily enough. We might want Nurse Joy to check them out, but I'd say they're all fine. The only issue is that now with that control gone, they're all panicking. It can be a real problem if they break into the city."

"Then, we hold them down," Tau indicated. Reggie nodded now, understanding just what Tau was asking of him. He was glad that he didn't have to go through all the motions of explaining every little thing to those that were there. Reggie already knew that he would be instrumental in calming down the rampaging Pokémon once they were secured. "Sawyer, stop beating them off. Hold them down!"

"You heard that, Sceptile!" Sawyer called out. Sceptile nodded from his position, still keeping his claws latched into the ground as he did so. The roots stopped their movements. It was just for a second in the middle of ending their writhing, but it seemed to be an advantage that the last remaining and conscious member of Team Rocket took advantage of.

"Oof!" The grunt from Maylene sounded out, as though she'd been nailed in the chest by a kick. Tau snapped his sights over, watching as Pierce spun around, a small device on his hand that he plunged onto Lucario's chest, as well. The device snapped out, binding the Aura Pokémon's arms and legs, and causing it to tumble to the ground. Then the top operative flipped up. The roots began to move, this time, slamming down on the ground. In that change and confusion, Pierce remained up and running, dashing for the forest at the edge. The roots all tried to slam down upon him and halt his progress, but the man simply jumped to the side or spun out of the way to avoid them.

"Damn…" Tau spat out, turning in the operative's direction. They weren't going to let him get away now. "Alain, to me! Reggie, Sawyer, Maylene, contain them all!"

"I'll calm them all down. When you capture him, bring him back to my place. It should be safe there," Reggie shouted out to him. Pierce had already reached the forest, diving into the thicket of trees and branches. He wasn't as stealthy as he likely would have hoped, considering his progression through the forest wasn't silent in the slightest. At the very least, it made him easy enough to track in the scheme of things as they gave pursuit.

"Charizard, let's go!" Alain's voice was heard, approaching Tau. The man didn't spare his new companion a glance, knowing that Alain, being of a younger age than himself, would easily keep pace. Charizard sailed forward, his black wings illuminated by the morning sky in that moment, before being consumed by the shadows of the forest. Skuntank, too, disappeared into the forest just as the two trainers reached it.

They blasted into the trees, tracking the sounds of Pierce's movement through the area. Charizard shot upwards, getting above the forest in order to track their quarry, not that there were many places for him to flee to from their location, or at this hour. Already, Tau had a guess of where Pierce was heading, Skuntank's own sense of smell and direction practically confirming his initial guess. Charizard gave a roar now, and the rush through the branches continued. Pine needle flooring soon turned exclusively to dirt, and then grass, and as the duo ran along silently, hearing only the sounds of the battle behind them calming down, their feet hit stone.

"He's heading for their former base," Tau told Alain. The younger man grunted and nodded, digging his heels in the ground to catch up to Pierce, fully visible now that they were out of the forest. A small shortness of breath entered into Tau, but he ignored it to press forward, subtly changing direction and speeding for the building that Pierce was attempting to get to. Alain followed his lead, and soon the darkened building, its lighting condition not as obvious in the bright daylight, approached them both. "Skuntank, prepare yourself."

"Skun!" Skuntank cried out, all four of its stubby legs trampling along the ground. Charizard dipped lower, shooting ahead, as if to catch up with Pierce.

"Flamethrower!" Alain roared. Charizard's maw opened wide and flames jetted out, scorching the ground as they aimed for the Rocket operative. He turned, avoiding the blast. Then his feet pitched to the side and began to ascend the steps to the building. Pierce had already reached the base, which either meant he could hide, or merely escape, given the tools there. The trainers sped up, making a tight turn for the stairs, themselves. Charizard now officially dropped low, in order to be at their side as they raced upwards.

They needn't have bothered doing so. Pierce had stopped stone cold in the lobby of the base, staring at the bodies strewn about. Glass still littered the area, remnants of what had occurred before, though none of the Pokémon were present any longer. Either way, in the cold daylight, the sight was a horrific one, Tau could imagine. The blue-haired operative remained staring for a moment, and then turned his head with a cold scowl.

"Was this  _your_  doing, ARC?" the man asked, his voice low as he cradled a small device in his hands. The ill intent was clearly seeping from him, his lips twitching, but Tau only let his eyes narrow. The reaction wasn't quite what he had expected. Spit flew from Pierce's voice as he roared out his next question. "WAS IT? !"

"I'm surprised someone like you would care," Alain said with his own scowl. Charizard landed on the ground with a loud shuddering, though Pierce didn't acknowledge him at all. He was staring right at Tau with that same rigid fury. Alain's hand looked to be twitching, clearly still not understanding how Pierce could be upset over his comrades, despite being criminals, being found dead. Tau knew, though. He understood all too well.

"We didn't do this. There was no time," Tau spoke evenly, trying to make sure that Pierce understood everything about that moment…what little there was that could be understood. "We found them just like this. Every last one."

"Charizard, Thunder Punch!" Alain had wasted no time in taking ahold of the moment. Pierce's distraction cost him, with Charizard flying forward with a roar and slamming his electrified fist into the man's stomach. The operative gagged, convulsing a little, and then dropped to the ground, the device in his hand tumbling outwards. Tau closed his eyes a moment and then reached down to scoop it up, placing it to their captive. It snapped out and bound him.

"That should contain him for the foreseeable future," Tau spoke out, not fearing to raise his voice. Charizard bent down and gathered Pierce in his claws as his Mega Evolved form faded, leaving the member of ARC to only wonder if Sawyer and the others had finished. The absence of Pokémon sounds told him that they might have. "Bring him to Reggie's house and wait for me there."

"Wait for you…?" Alain questioned, his eyes clearly tracking Tau as the man moved into the building a little. "What do you plan to do?"

"Try to get some answers," was Tau's response, but he didn't explain himself any further. Alain apparently decided to not argue the point, because he shrugged and turned to exit the building with their new hostage. Tau's face darkened, consternation setting into his features as he stepped over the bodies. There was no time to worry or wonder about the computer, but instead he chose to go further in and look at the rooms.

What had caused the deaths of the Team Rocket members? It had seemed quick and painless, yet Pierce's reaction indicated that he hadn't known a thing. It almost made him wonder what else the agent wasn't told…or rather, how much he could tell  _them_. Tau continued inward, towards stairs that led to the two upper floors. It was possible that there was something up there, though Tau didn't dare to hold his breath on it. A light above sputtered and sparked, sending some freckles of electricity showering down upon him as he climbed the stairs. Halfway up, he paused, looking backwards at the shadows dancing in the sun, almost as if there was movement, but at the lack of sounds, he continued upward, remaining wary.

The second story was almost a complete copy of the first, though with less bodies, and some of them wearing the official Team Rocket uniforms. Although, what Tau was attracted to was the line of dead scientists wearing white coats with red Rs that were scattered in a line. The man decided to follow said line, Skuntank keeping alert at his side as he did so. Like their comrades, they were all slain, even if they were left as a convenient trail of breadcrumbs that led to a door which was an obvious shade of red. Tau wanted to laugh, finding it to be like a large sign that said "Please, look in me!". That very thought in his head, Tau approached it, only to find that it wouldn't open. He heaved a sigh.

"Excuse me," the leader of Alpha Squad said, bending low to rip a keycard from a nearby scientist. He raised it up to the door and slid it through the slot. The door slid right open without issue, allowing Tau inside.

Like the rest of the office building (or base) it was dark in here, though lined with a series of track lighting that gave a certain ambience to the space. The room itself was cleaned out, indicating that it was a location Zager had clearly had tidied up in his departure. Tau did wonder if Zager had known about what had happened, but took a guess at him being ignorant. More dead scientists were in the room, the location smelling a little, but next to Skuntank's own fumes, it was nothing. Tau swiveled his head, finding that the room was so utterly cleared out, it was impossible to even guess at what might have been going on in that location. All that truly remained was a pillar in the center of a room, looking like it may have contained an object some time ago. A placard remained on the pillar, however.

"Alpha Project…hm…" Tau grunted out. His fingers brushed the placard, but shortly left it. That didn't tell him much, but it certainly looked like something big had either been examined here or created. He wasn't sure which, and there was nothing to…

Tau's head turned at the glimpse of a glow in a corner of the room. He moved to examine it, finding a stone sitting in the corner, like something that was broken off. Leaning down to grab it, he found it was cold and glowing the same indigo as that of the meteorites outside. It seemed strange, though…too… _normal_. In all of his dealings working with ARC and the underworld that existed out there, never had he come across an artifact that had  _no_  signs of strange activity. He held it up, trying to examine it in what little light there was in the room, but couldn't think of anything to identify it.

Was this, possibly, the reason that all the agents had been slaughtered? Were they not trusted with this "project"? Or was Giovanni making his own moves without the knowledge of most of his force? It didn't seem a very good plan, but with the sheer amount of force on his side…Tau turned away and left the room, keeping the stone firmly in his hands. There was no need to spend any more time in this hellhole, knowing he wouldn't glean a speck more of information. Wishing away the bristling hair on the back of his neck, as though there were eyes dotting the dancing shadows, Tau picked up the pace, leaving the room and striding back through the halls and stairways to emerge back outside in Veilstone City.

The hubbub of the city was picking up in volume now, people starting the day for real now, though there seemed plenty of confusion hanging over it all. The remnants of their battle over the meteorites must have piqued quite the interest. Thinking on that, Tau stared over to the plethora of meteorites in the field. They were still glowing and pulsing, much like the Gates and fountain in Nova Town. There was certainly a connection there, and Tau began to wonder if, maybe, that was what Zager and Pierce had been sticking around for in the first place. Wrinkling his nose a bit, Tau and Skuntank made their way over to the meteorites, intact with the ground. Tossing the stone in his hand once, the man touched it down to the other surface.

Nothing happened. Nothing at all. They just kept glowing on as normal.

"A bust, huh…? Anything, Skuntank?" Tau asked of his partner, giving the rock to it. The Skunk Pokémon sniffed at it, and then the meteorite, but shook its head. "Maybe it's not of the same material…Hmm…Guess we'll hold on to it until Chi can examine it, or someone that can get answers. Return, friend."

Tau's pokeball shined with a red light as he returned his partner. That action complete, he plunged both hands into his pockets, the rock contained within, and set back off for Reggie's house. The sound of a beating helicopter or two was in the distance, and Tau could only guess at who was on the approach. He picked up his pace, running past the people in the streets until he reached the familiar place he had been to just a few hours back. It felt strange, not entering with the woman he had arrived with, but that didn't prove to be an issue. There were just as many people in the house now as then, after all.

"Is he conscious?" Tau asked sharply, the moment he entered. From the direction of the conversing voices, they were all gathered in the living room for whatever discussion they were trying to have. It quieted down almost instantly, and the humming rotors from outside got louder.

"Not yet, and everything's fine by the city's border," Reggie called back. Tau took quick steps forward in order to join all of them, and he looked over the living room once he had. Alain was leaning against the wall while Sawyer appeared to have been speaking with Maylene by the television, covering that day's early start of the Champion Tournament rounds. It appeared they were already on the fourth round. Only Reggie was sitting, right next to their captive on the couch, the man still in a rather unmoving state. Sunlight was now completely streaming through the windows in the room, illuminating the man's dark hair. He looked peaceful, except for the fact that he was an enemy.

Tau chose to take all of that into his own hands as he stepped around the couch.

"Get up," the man commanded. Pierce didn't answer right away, so he reached down and grabbed the operative's shoulders. Then he shook him rapidly. Reggie backed off, clearly wanting no part in whatever was happening there. The shaking didn't quite work, so Tau reached back and slapped the man across his face.

"What…?" Pierce coughed out suddenly, the slap having jolted him awake. He seemed disoriented, looking lost, though he soon cringed and flinched, wanting to touch for his stomach, but realizing that his arms and legs were fully restrained, preventing him from doing anything. Once he seemed to realize this, he began to struggle a moment, though never losing his cool demeanor. Tau pressed down on his chest to hold him tightly in place.

"Do you know who I am?" Tau asked calmly, not wanting to waste time. Pierce didn't answer, staring with cold hatred that was directed at him. "I'm not responsible for the death of your comrades, though you are more than responsible for the death of my own."

"Revenge, then? Retaliation?" Pierce asked, his lips curling into a smirk. It seemed like his intention, now that he was captured, was to needle him as much as possible into making a mistake. Tau wasn't going to let that happen, and a sigh emerged from his own lips. He pressed further, kneeling a bit to get in Pierce's face.

"Information. What is Team Rocket planning?"

"Isn't ARC aware of that?" Pierce asked with a menacing chuckle. Tau's hand inched up, moving towards the man's throat as a snarl appeared on his face. The others standing there watched with rapt fascination and fear, both. "Oh…you're not…"

"I'm not in a patient mood," Tau insisted. Pierce offered no answers but an enigmatic smile, showing his inability to betray his organization. "You know, your comrades, I don't know how much they suffered, but it looked quick and systematic. A planned assassination. I wonder what your boss isn't telling you."

"What Giovanni orders of me is irrelevant," Pierce said, his smirk even more taunting than before. "The boss' orders are…orders."

"This is getting nowhere," Alain commented testily. Tau was inclined to agree as he heard a door open near the front of the house, already surmising who could be coming through it. Clearly threatening with death wasn't enough to shake the man, and he couldn't think of any other particular way to make it happen.

"Then hypnotize him already," a gruff voice interjected. Tau removed his hand from Pierce in order to look up at their new arrival. Just as he'd guessed, the trainer named Paul was standing in the doorway to the living room, hands in his pockets. He didn't look remotely happy, and while that wasn't unusual in and of itself, there was an extra harshness to his face now. "If he won't talk, hypnotize him and get the answers you want."

"I take it you won, Paul," Reggie asked, smiling over at his brother. Paul gave him a look, but otherwise didn't answer, waving the whole thing off.

"Irrelevant," was the younger brother's response. Tau couldn't glean anything from that, though he did wonder why the cold, nearly unfeeling, trainer was here after the battle was over. Paul stepped around the couch without a word to anyone until he, too, was facing Pierce. He reached for his belt and held a pokeball up. "Why did you attack Veilstone?"

"Orders," was Pierce's smug remark. Paul's eyes narrowed. "What do you care for?"

"It's still my home," came the cutting response. "I don't like people messing with my Pokémon. And I wanted answers."

"You mean about Ash," Alain noted. There was almost a collective inhalation within the room. His was the name no one had wanted to mention, especially with Serena off who knows where on whatever infiltration she was in the middle of. However, Alain had struck on it perfectly. Whatever Paul's attitude towards most, it was clear that his eternal rivalry with Ash was something he was intent on keeping. Regardless, the purple-haired trainer didn't answer.

"One last chance, and I'm done," Paul insisted. Pierce just laughed, as though he found the threat amusing.

"I'm not scared." Tau had the feeling that was a big mistake. Perhaps Pierce felt he would be saved. Or maybe he just assumed that none of them there would be willing to stoop below using unscrupulous measures in order to get the information they so desired. Whatever it was, the operative had  _clearly_  underestimated Paul.

"Your choice. Frosslass, Confuse Ray."

The bright light that exuded from Paul's pokeball coalesced into the form of the ghostly Ice type, her eyes glowing a bright yellow for a moment. Small orbs surrounded Pierce's face, the operative regarding them warily. Then they converged on him. For a moment, Pierce looked to be resisting the attempts, almost looking like he was going to bite his tongue. Tau put a stop to that, holding the agent's mouth open until, at last, the man's head drooped. Paul stepped back, while Frosslass remained floating in midair.

Tau bent low and looked into their captive's eyes, noticing them glossed over, but responsive. That, at least, opened conversation. "Do you know who I am?"

"ARC," was the single word response. Tau frowned; the operative knew he was  _ARC_ , but not  _who_  he was. In some way, that was encouraging.

"How did you come to know that?"

"A man, with blond hair." Tau grimaced. That couldn't have been anyone but Michael, which was a fact they had been more than aware of in their years pursuing his influence.

"What are you planning?" came the next question, everyone in the room waiting with bated breath. Pierce didn't answer right away, almost like he was fighting the confusion. Frosslass floated closer, clearly ready to react and enforce the hypnotized state, but doing nothing for the moment.

"Don't know…everything," Pierce answered, his eyes still stuck in a haze. Reggie came near, reaching over to check the man's pulse. He nodded, as if saying it was rock steady and low. "Pieces of the plan, only. Something about…golden light. Calling forth golden light, and…blood. Sparks of blood. Zager knew something, but all the information was only truly privy to the Four Pillars of Team Rocket."

"Who are the Four Pillars?" Sawyer asked impatiently, taking a step forward. Tau was surprised to see him so excitable, or perhaps just apprehensive. From Paul's slightly defensive nature, it appeared he was interested in the answer, as well. Pierce was struggling with this question, as though he couldn't figure out quite how to answer while his mind was actively resisting the Confuse Ray.

"A…Alastair," was the first name that managed to escape his lips. Tau leaned in, as Pierce's voice dropped to a whisper. "Tol…bert…Louise…and… _her_ …"

"Her?" Alain asked, clearly in simple reaction. Pierce wasn't answering, however. Whether it was because he didn't know the name or simply couldn't reveal it, even under the control, Tau didn't know, and he wasn't going to stress the man any further at the expense of information. He shuffled closer once more.

"What is Zager trying to do? What are the 'sparks of blood' for?" Tau asked sternly. Pierce looked up, his eyes bulging in his head. Frosslass moved closer, another orb appearing threateningly, in case the operative would break out.

"Unclear. Followed orders," was Pierce's own response. His body was shaking a moment, eyes flickering open and then shut before snapping so wide, it looked like his head was pulling itself open. "Only said to activate the meteoric veins running through…but wouldn't say…why…Aggh!"

"Drop the confusion, but keep your eye on him," Tau commanded. Paul looked at him with his standard frown, but nodded towards Frosslass, who dropped the Confuse Ray. Pierce slumped, breathing heavily, while Tau stepped back with his hand on his chin, contemplating what was shared.

The "meteoric veins" were an easy enough concept to understand thus far. Between Nova Town, Mount Chimney and now here, they had already long since predicted that. Throwing in Unova and Azalea Town just made that even more clear. Besides, Tau figured, Aidan's conjecture had already suspected the meteors during his earlier conversations. However, the "veins" part was a little more tricky, now that Tau was considering it. How did meteors have veins? What were they running through? More particularly, what did those "sparks of blood" mean…? It was a baffling concept, and nothing he was close to figuring…out…

Tau's stomach dropped a little.

"Reggie, do you have a map of the many regions? A world map?" Tau demanded. Reggie seemed taken aback by the request, but soon after nodded. Tau knew it was a tall order; until recently, most places only carried regional maps at best, but a world map was more important now. The older brother dashed out of the room while Pierce was groaning, his mind seemingly returning to him, even as Frosslass remained on standby.

"Why do you want a map?" Sawyer asked, taking a pen out of his pocket. Tau wasn't sure if he had guessed at the same suspicions, but he obviously had  _some_ idea. Moments later, Reggie arrived back in the room, laying the large map across the coffee table, shadows from the sunlight dancing across it and the entire room. Tau bent over it, just as Sawyer did. The green-haired man handed his pen over and Tau instantly tapped down upon the rough location of Nova Town, the pen halting a moment.

"No…Not Nova Town, but Kalos itself," he muttered, placing an X through the entire region. His pen moved along, crossing out Hoenn, and then Sinnoh, then Unova, and then…Johto. Five major regions. Five different colors. Five different meteorites. It wasn't a complete answer, but Tau had to wonder just what they were forcing, and where or what they were forcing it to. "Pierce, Azalea Town. Was that your doing?"

"Azalea…?" Pierce answered, still trying to become focused. He seemed to remember the events of what had happened before the hypnotism. "I don't know. I know there were…seven missions, I think. Though the Pillars talked about an eighth that I'd never heard of, entrusted only to them…by…Giovanni…?"

It was about as much of a confirmation as Tau could have expected. Five regions had been desecrated so quickly by violence, all shining with a strange light. If Tau's own suspicions were accurate, it could only leave two more…even if it still left the largely unanswered question of why out in the open.

"And what about Ash?" Paul now demanded, his tone harsh and biting. "What was your pathetic intent in taking him out?"

"Taking him out? No…" Pierce said, shaking his head. Tau observed him, watching the operative come to his senses. Whether it was realizing that ARC hadn't been responsible for the death of his comrades or just the shock of it finally settling in, Pierce was being incredibly forthright. Tau wanted to milk that opportunity while he could. "No, she said something about wanting him to connect…Connect…Gah!"

It was sudden, happening in the blink of an eye. One second, Pierce was revealing information, and the next, a shadowy claw had erupted from the floor, impaling his entire figure. There was a loud spluttering, but Tau wasn't paying attention. Nor was Paul. Both were facing the exterior of the house.

Pierce's body was twitching, gagging on his own saliva as the claw retracted, racing back out through the window, hiding itself in the morning sun. Tau wasted no time, gripping the edge of the couch and flinging himself over Pierce's dead body to reach the other side. Paul was right alongside him, both of them aiming for the door into the backyard. The younger purple-haired man reached it first, kicking the door open and blasting out.

"Magmortar, Flamethrower on that shadow!" he roared. Magmortar, who had been lounging just seconds before, brought himself to full height and sent red hot flames roaring out at the shadow chasing along the ground. Tau followed them with his eyes until seeing a placement just over the fence that they were drawing to. The flames did nothing to their target. "Honchkrow, follow it!"

"Krow!" Honchkrow squawked out, taking flight from a nearby tree to chase after the shadow. As Magmortar's flames receded, Tau and Paul instantly gave further chase, reaching the fence in moments before grabbing hold and flinging themselves over it to reach the other side.

When they had, however, all they caught sight of was Honchkrow diving at a formless shadow that disappeared into the ground, leaving a puff of smoke in its wake that obscured all of their vision. Paul swore loudly. Tau strode forward into the smoke, waving it away but finding nothing beyond the pale. The assassin had come and gone, leaving nothing behind.

"Damn…" the man muttered, turning back to the house. A sigh escaped his lips, lamenting the loss of a source of information. He looked upwards, the sky a normal blue despite the glowing meteorites, and saw something flit off into the horizon, masked only by the sounds of the city and other aircraft. For a moment, Tau's scowl etched itself deeper, wondering if the assassin had still been there, taunting them. However, in moments, it turned into a smirk. They had  _some_  information. That was a start; he just had to trust in Serena, Dawn, and others on the battlefront to gather more. For now, however, his course was set. "I'll need to contact the League. The crisis we're facing is far larger than I thought, and it needs dealing with right now."

* * *

The airship bumped, experiencing a slight bit of turbulence, but Bonnie couldn't bother to notice. Meetings and partings…she had experienced so many of them in her lifetime, but somehow, nothing had prepared her for this very moment of sharp pain inside. Her fists were clenching on her knees as tears trundled down her face, unable to stop the flood of them inside. Max and Brock reached over, each putting a hand on her.

"It's okay," Brock spoke in a low tone. She knew he was just saying it to comfort her, but Bonnie couldn't help but feel it was all her fault.

Rocky was gone, and it was because she hadn't been able to save him.

"Denene?" Dedenne asked softly, scampering up to her face and placing a small paw there. She sniffled, reining in her snot and tears before reaching up to touch her longtime partner. Even Squishy, heaving with the exhaustion of the battle, looked up to her with encouragement.

"He chose it, in order to get all of us out of there," Brock spoke again, now reaching to clasp her shoulder in comfort. Bonnie felt it would have been so easy to just fall apart right then and there, but she chose not to, clenching her fists once more and drawing herself up. The sound of a whooshing door indicated the arrival of Plumeria, the former admin of Team Skull watching their trio for a moment. Whether out of respect, or perhaps even mourning for her own lost brothers and sisters, the woman waited, watching them until Bonnie looked up to her.

"Leader Norman wants us to land back at Petalburg. A League helicopter is waiting there," the woman said. Bonnie rubbed at her nose, some of the snot coming loose as she nodded. Plumeria jerked her head in acknowledgement and turned, making to leave the room, but stopped at the threshold. "We'll be contacting the boss. And…let's not cry for them. We all knew what could happen against them. Save the tears for once we've kicked their asses, got it?"

"G-got it," Bonnie said, and she made to stand. Max retracted his hand, coming to stand with her, alongside Brock. The feeling of the airship changed as it began to lower itself down slowly. The lemon blonde walked over to one of the windows, the light of day flashing through, and saw they had already arrived back in Petalburg, making Plumeria's announcement rather late in the telling. That didn't matter to Bonnie; she was already steeling herself for whatever the challenges ahead were.

_Live!_  Rocky's command to her hung in Bonnie's head as she breathed in. It hadn't been the request of a man who had given up hope. Instead, he had insisted on hoping in her, and protecting that. While part of Bonnie still felt like all her years of making sure she was strong enough, enough to never be taken advantage of again, had been wasted by his need to sacrifice himself, there was also a fire burning in her.

That same fire was felt by the pair of Pokémon at her side, pushing her forward. Fixing a smile on her face, Bonnie turned to the door that would lead them out of the airship, and into Petalburg City. That final descent didn't take long, the airship shuddering to a stop on the ground, and Bonnie proceeded forward, Max and Brock both flanking her as she did so. In moments, she'd stepped outside, into the flowing breeze of Petalburg City, near enough to the Gym that she could easily see it from where they were. To the building's side was a helicopter, looking similar to the one that Bonnie had rode in to Mount Chimney on, the pilot waiting patiently inside.

"Come on," Max mumbled out with some embarrassment, nudging her a little. She glared at him playfully, but followed her rival off to the Gym, where Plumeria was going, as well, side by side with Norman. Neither were speaking to one another, but that suited Bonnie just fine. Brock, meanwhile, hung back a little to check on the remaining, and wounded, people from Aether. In no time, their little group had reached the Gym, and were making their way to a room that looked like an office. Clearly, Caroline was nowhere to be seen, and Max wasn't looking.

"Should only take a moment," Norman commented, striding over to the touchscreen in the room and pushing on buttons. Bonnie didn't say anything, only listening for the movement behind her that indicated Brock's imminent arrival. Plumeria looked uncomfortable in the setting, shifting back and forth, probably because of who and what she'd have to report.

Sure enough, in seconds, the screen was split in two to display two entirely separate locations and individuals, the faces revealed being Diantha and Gladion.

"Plumeria, you're all right…" the president of the Aether Foundation breathed out, like he'd been holding it in for hours. Plumeria quirked an eyebrow, as though intrigued by the fact her boss had worried about her. "When news of the eruption reached us…well, Guzma was freaking out until I was forced to sedate him."

"We're fine," Plumeria said shortly. Her eyes went downcast for a moment, and her lips twitched slightly in disgrace. "Some of them…didn't make it. And we…we failed bad, boss. Sorry."

"That you're okay is a better thing," Gladion insisted to her. That didn't seem to improve her mentality towards it all, but Diantha left no time to dwell on that failure. Even Bonnie felt herself straightening as the Champion began to speak to those in the room. Norman had busied himself at his desk, organizing papers like the current conversation didn't apply to him, though it was obvious he was keeping an eye on it.

"So, Team Rocket succeeded in their plans at Mount Chimney, did they?" the older woman asked with a sigh. It returned the guilt to Bonnie, but she rapidly shook her head to get rid of that oppressive feeling. "That just leaves Veilstone…"

"Same news there," called a new voice, joining into the conversation. Bonnie blinked, and saw as a third partition had appeared on the screen, displaying Tau's face. The lemon blonde looked closer to the screen, noticing that Serena was nowhere near it, even though people like Alain and Sawyer could be seen in the background. That struck her as odd. "On the one hand, everyone here is fine. But we did fail in securing the meteorites, and Team Rocket's top scientist, Doctor Zager escaped. We managed to take an operative hostage but he died before he could reveal too much."

"Are we back to square one? That's all we've started to care about," Diantha insisted. Now that Bonnie was listening closer, she felt the Kalos Champion sounded very terse, ready to snap out in the tension of everything surrounding them.

"Not quite. Pierce didn't say too much, but we have a working theory. I'd just like to not share it over open communication," Tau responded. He breathed in again and then exhaled, looking through to Bonnie, as if communicating silently. She didn't get the message, only tilting her head in confusion, so the man chose to speak. "We'll leave any more information gathering to Serena. She's…er…pursuing a lead on Ash's location."

"Is he okay, then?" both Diantha and Gladion asked at the same exact moment, making Bonnie almost laugh at the weird synchronicity. Tau didn't give an answer, all but proving that he had nothing concrete at that moment. To that, Diantha once again sighed.

"Well, then…I suppose we'll need to reconvene with information in a secure location while we can. Lance still hasn't reported in, and neither has Aidan since he said he had things to do and left," the Champion spoke, pursing her lips as she did so. "Gladion, can you…?"

"Yeah. Plumeria, refocus your efforts on recovery and research around Mount Chimney," Gladion said to the woman. She folded her arms and jerked her head in agreement. Clearly not wanting to stick around anymore, she whipped towards the door and made to depart. "In the meantime, I think it's important that I head to where we're all meeting. The more information, the better."

"I'll call Steven up. I believe he's discussing things with Gary, but showing his face in the Hoenn region would be a morale booster right now," Diantha said. Bonnie was starting to notice how utterly exhausted she sounded with all of this, rubbing at bags that were forming under her eyes from the intense level of stress. "As for the rest, send all the wounded to the League Hub as soon as you can."

"League Hub?" Bonnie questioned, tilting her head to the side. Part of her felt like she'd heard of it before, but couldn't place the idea. As a result, she briefly looked to Max, wondering if he, in his know-it-all ways, knew what Diantha was talking about. He just shrugged, though, wearing a perplexed expression.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of it, considering your brother helped design it. But, it's our sea-bound…well, I don't want to call it a fortress, but that's essentially what it is," Diantha remarked. "It's been our pet project for some years for a safe gathering, operated exclusively by the League. It should be safe for all manner of discussion and defense. That's where I want each of you to head. Your pilot has already been informed about the location."

"If the wounded are heading there, then I should definitely come along. Do you want me to bring a Nurse Joy?" Bonnie didn't miss the slight happy lilt to his voice as he asked that, and Max's fingers looked like they were twitching.

"No, we have plenty on hand there. Gladion, should I expect your own arrival shortly? And you, Tau?"

"We'll bring our whole group along. Can't be of further use as we are now…" Tau chuckled out, running a hand through his hair. "Hopefully, Aidan will get in contact soon…things have just been falling apart since Lionel…"

Bonnie's fists clenched again, and the sight of Rocky's sacrifice swam in her vision. She hated feeling like this; people throwing their lives away, or having it taken from them, all so people like her could live. It cut deeply. Now, she had to worry about Serena, on top of Ash and her brother. The only solace for that was that Tau seemed to believe the latter two were alive, even if they hadn't seemed to show themselves, which in and of itself was so unlike them. Her face scrunched itself up with the thought of it, almost twisting itself into a gnarled expression when she felt a sudden hand on her shoulder that jerked her out of it. She blinked rapidly once more and looked to Max.

"Hey, you all right?" the bespectacled boy asked. Bonnie swallowed, putting a smile back on her face, just like Serena always would.

"Totally fine! The three of us are ready for anything!" Bonnie insisted, throwing her arms up and flexing her muscles. She looked down to her two most loyal partners with a grin. "How about you guys?"

"Blrbl!"

"Ne!" Dedenne confirmed, also attempting to flex what little muscles he had. That made Bonnie give a more genuine smile and she looked to her rival, who seemed to swallow. He removed his glasses and cleaned them with shaking hands.

" _You_  need to get  _yourself_  together, though. We're gonna have lots to share about what happened at Mount Chimney!" Bonnie insisted, reaching over to slap the boy on the back. He jolted, nearly dropping his glasses, it seemed. She rolled her eyes, spun around on her feet and then dashed out of the all-too-familiar Gym. Her footsteps slowed as she walked past the battlefield that was there, remembering holding her own Gym battle there while Max had once watched. For some reason, he worked even harder to surpass her after that day, and though she had an inkling as to why, it wasn't an idea she wished to entertain.

Thankfully, she didn't need to do so at all, especially when she went back out into the crisp, Petalburg air. Brock was outside there, having seemingly left with Plumeria to speak more about the wounded on site. Now that Bonnie was looking, she could see there was a second, larger aircraft that the wounded from the battle at Mount Chimney were being helped into. Brock was thrusting a first aid kit of some sort into the hands of one individual that looked…well, somewhat responsible, there. They accepted it and ran off like a kid that had been handed candy. It made Bonnie snort with amusement; about the only bit of it she'd been getting lately.

_No!_  she chastised herself in her head. Her hands reached up and violently slapped her cheeks to help her get ahold of herself. There was no time for thinking about those darker thoughts. There was just one thought that she was going to cling to in that very moment:  _Live. Live for them, and do their part until everything is all right._

"Yeah! We're ready to kick more Team Rocket butt!" Bonnie shouted out to the air. Her scream did attract a little bit of attention, but most just moved on, clearly unaware of all the facts of what was happening in the world. Bonnie hoped that would continue to be the case. People didn't need to be worried about all that stuff. It was far better for those peaceful times to continue for them. That was what she wanted to happen, at least.

"I see someone's all fired up," Brock chuckled out as he now approached.

"Yeah, I am!" Bonnie insisted, reaching out to fistbump with the man. He accepted it gratefully. "Gotta keep movin'! For Clemont…and Rocky, too."

"Well, just don't push yourself  _too_  far, Bonnie," Brock reassured her, reaching over to ruffle her hair. She swatted him away, but appreciated the good-natured nudging. The sound of another door opening revealed to her that Max was exiting, obviously planning on traveling with the two of them back to the League Hub. "Your dad's approved?"

"He wants to call the Gym Leaders up for the situation at Mount Chimney, I think," Max said from behind Bonnie. She spun around, holding her hands behind her back as she stared at him. He coughed a little, looking red, before he continued on. "I'll go as his 'representative', I guess. Besides…I…asked to…"

"Mmhmm," Brock said, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly. In no time, he'd approached the younger boy and threw his arm around him, leading the pair off towards the helicopter they'd be taking. "Our young Max, growing up so well. Don't worry, leave it to good ol' Brocko to teach you all the ways of adulthood!"

"I think I'd like to pass, Brock, given your track record," Max snapped at him. Brock reached his free arm up to cover his ears with a cringe. Bonnie laughed loudly, skipping off after them and soon passing the duo. As she did, she briefly looked towards the Aether transport, re-loading itself quickly as some Pokémon, or what looked like Pokémon, landed atop from a distance, listening cheerfully. "If what you're saying is the case, and I'm not saying it is, then I'd rather take lessons from Ash. At least he's married, for some baffling reason. And I'd rather not take advice from  _May's_  significant other."

"I'm hurt, Max," Brock said jokingly, now putting his hand over his heart. "Haven't you heard? I'm the apple of the eye of the one and only former Kalos Queen, Aria!"

"Uh-huh…Brock, I'm not going to indulge your fantasies," Max retorted, now reaching up and pulling on the older man's ear.

"Gah…all right, cut it out. Not even Croagunk is this cruel these days!" The rest of Brock's protests were drowned by the helicopter, along with Bonnie's ceaseless laughing, enjoying the show that the two were putting on. Both of them ignored her, even as they sat in the helicopter that was all set to take off. Max made sure to sit next to Brock, likely to monitor him while they waited. Bonnie just leaned back with a little grin on her face as she felt the helicopter jerk up.

The stinging of the events at Mount Chimney was still present, especially remembering the last time she'd rode in a helicopter but a few hours ago, but she decided to not let that get her down, for sure. Dedenne and Squishy were here with her (even if the rest of her Pokémon had been left at Professor Sycamore's lab in her rush to get moving). Her friends were here with her. She had all the support she needed to get through this.

"To the League Hub, Team Bonnie!"

"Please don't remind me of that…" Max said to her, averting his eyes out the window. Bonnie grinned cheekily, knowing she had inadvertently reminded him of the time Dedenne had defeated Gallade at the Kalos Team Tournament two years back.

"You know you like the name," Bonnie told him, leaning over with a grin. He turned away haughtily, letting the distraction of the helicopter attaining full altitude take his mind over clearly. Bonnie just shrugged and sat back, hands behind her head. The helicopter seemed to make a sharp turn west, heading out for the ocean. It made sense in Bonnie's mind; a League fortress for all of the major regions would have to be somewhere on the water, just as Diantha had said. The lemon blonde looked peacefully out the window a moment, a shimmering heat just outside it at their height, as she thought of those she'd be meeting up with at the Hub. Knowing she'd be reunited with familiar friends and faces, Bonnie took solace in all of that, taking Dedenne and Squishy into her hands and tickling them a little bit. They giggled at it, making Bonnie smile.

"Squishy, Squishy, you're oh so very soft. Squishy, Squishy, you're oh so pretty green," she sang softly, her little companion swaying to the ever-familiar tune. Max looked over at her with a light smile, his pokeballs seeming to enjoy the song as well. The only one there that didn't look to be entertained was Brock, his elbows resting on his knees as he appeared to think. Bonnie stopped her song, and her tone grew more serious. "Brock, what's wrong?"

"Hm? Just thinking…" Brock admitted, though his own expression didn't change. Petalburg seemed to have been left far behind by now, their chopper nearly over the ocean at this point. Hoenn was fading just the same, replaced with deep blue seas and small white and green islands approaching to break up that vast expanse. The pilot clearly knew where he was heading, but Brock remained concerned.

"What about?" she asked in response. Dedenne hopped out of her lap with Squishy, the two of them sitting comfortably next to her on the seat, instead.

"Something Diantha and the others were talking about," Brock noted. He hadn't shown any concern, but Bonnie could only guess that now was the first moment he had to think. "It's weird, don't you think? They had a hostage from Team Rocket, but he was killed. A good number of them were killed at Mount Chimney."

"What are you getting at?" Max asked. Bonnie rolled her eyes at his usual tone, smoothing her skirt out. She briefly looked out the window to hide the expression, noticing one of the larger islands down below, hidden behind the heated shimmer.

"It's just itching at my mind, but…why are they being so reckless with all of their operatives?" Brock asked. Bonnie looked back curiously. "Sure, Jessie, James and Meowth were usually shown to not be cared about, but this is different. I feel like…somehow, they're trying to systematically destroy their own organization."

"Maybe the leader is just power hungry? Doesn't want to share it with anyone?" Bonnie suggested flippantly. Max now took his turn to roll his eyes. "Hey, it's valid, and you know it!"

"Doesn't mean it's right," Max shot back. She leaned forward, wanting to glare at him even closer, though he pulled back.

"Maybe…or it could be…"

_Boom!_  The first blast rocked the helicopter, pitching it to the side. Bonnie rolled down, sliding down the seat to hit the door of the chopper. The latch on the lock broke from the sudden hit, the girl banging against it. Bonnie reached out, trying to grip for a railing while Brock held to Max. The latter stared out the window.

"It's those drones! I-I think they were cloaked!" Max called. Bonnie grimaced, trying to pull herself up, but slipping as another attack struck the helicopter. There was a horrible snapping noise, like a rotor breaking off. The helicopter suddenly shuddered, dropping in altitude. "There are Pokémon with them, too…that Pin Missile-"

"Brace yourself!" Brock yelled, gripping to a railing.

"Dedenne, Squish-" Bonnie's cry was cut off by a sudden intake of breath. Another attack, sounding more like a Hyper Beam of sorts, impacted with the helicopter, blasting a hole through its back half. The door, no longer secure, slid all the way open. With the banging around, Bonnie's hand slipped, letting go of the railing, and she flailed in midair, falling through the now open gap. Dedenne and Squishy called for her, but Bonnie could do nothing but scream.

"BONNIE!" Max screamed, sounding frightened out of his mind. Bonnie wished she could have called for him, but her voice was gone, left above as she plummeted.

Then she hit the ocean, and sank below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, in and of itself, this chapter had a lot of little things going on, and a rather disastrous ending. Some things were revealed about Team Rocket's plan, and that, perhaps, Giovanni isn't quite willing to share the glory, even if the man, himself, has yet to appear on the scene. On top of it, Pierce's assassination certainly shows there's something big at play. But really, I also wanted some focus on Paul, who I've neglected in the series, and the fallout from Rocky and Lionel's deaths thus far. Hopefully I highlighted that well enough.
> 
> Right now, we're nearing the second act of the story, and I can guarantee it will get more intense and complex in a way. That said, please remember to Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	9. A Foretelling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be some answers this time around, but I guess you'll have to think about it. Do enjoy Chapter 9!

Chapter 9

A Foretelling

Wingull chirped in the ocean breeze, filling the active city with their cries. The waters lapped at the docks and the site of the large object that was the landmark of the city. Some people, citizens and tourists alike, were looking at it, enthralled by its shimmering purple hue in the light of the day. Aidan merely stood, staring up at it with a frown.

"An unexpected meeting at an unexpected place," a voice said from behind him. Aidan grimaced at the sound of it; he knew that voice far too well, but hated the thought of hearing it, even if not the man to whom it belonged. "I was surprised you contacted me, Aidan of ARC."

"I'd have rather not," Aidan barked out, his gruff voice causing some teenagers nearby to recoil from it. They all leaned in and whispered to ignore him, shuffling far away from the blond as some of their words revealed snippets of news in the wider world. Their retreat suited him just fine. He was happier with more space and secrecy, especially in these dark and troubling times. That  _didn't_  mean he was happy with the man standing behind him, to the point that he refused to turn in his direction. "Only that your leads may be the best leads at this moment."

"I haven't done excess research in years…not since Alola. You know that," his new companion spoke, the sound of footsteps indicating his imminent approach.

"And if I know  _him_ , you didn't stop just because you chose to return home after meeting your daughter. I somehow can't see you as the doting house husband," Aidan snapped, and he finally turned his head. The man was chuckling, coming to stand next to him. When Aidan's head finally turned, he got his first good look at the man, though it wasn't quite who he had remembered, for better or worse.

"True enough…I can't seem to stay away. No wonder my daughter married the man she did," Y chuckled out further. It annoyed Aidan immensely. At first, he thought it was because the man looked just like their ever-mortal adversary, Michael (save for the fact that he was, in fact, dead). However, looking at him now, Aidan realized it had nothing to do with that rather unfortunate connection, but more that this version behaved more like Lionel. It made the blond's face tauten as he glared at the man. "You can drop the glare. I'm not going to hurt you. Besides, if the rumors are true, you've all but eliminated my counterpart's poison from the world."

"All but," Aidan agreed. There was always the possibility of yet another poisonous sac of Michael's waiting out there somewhere, and it was just a matter of finding it, if there was one. Not that there was time right now. "And I have no fear of that. How many years has it been, and you've not taken an action in that time?"

"Well, that's not entirely true," Y said, his voice losing its humored edge. His eyes were dead set, staring at the Anistar Sundial as he considered things. "I'm a researcher at heart, always looking to move the pieces."

"And what pieces have you been moving lately?" Aidan asked of him, adjusting his bent glasses a bit.

"Not enough," was the response. The honey blonde sighed out, now looking up to the blue sky. "The League has been on top of so many things these days. From researchers like Gary Oak and Burnet studying the various dimensions, to Champions Cynthia and Steven examining ruins, while your own organization looks for ancient artifacts…there's not much left to find in this day and age.

"It's almost as if an era is coming to an end. Officially, this time."

"That's a scary thought," Aidan agreed. Y shrugged and refused to make a further comment, letting Aidan's thoughts draw inward once more. Was the end of an era on the horizon? Had Lionel's death been a sign of that? If it was, the man wasn't sure he wanted it to be. Every "end" always seemed to be brought about with more death and more sacrifice. Lionel was the beginning, but how many more would there be? His son? Aidan shook the oppressive thought from his head. "Then, do you mind sharing what you  _have_  been looking into?"

"Not at all, though it's always just conjecture with me," Y admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the nearby railing that bordered the sea. He nodded towards the Sundial. "Just looking into the meteorites that seemed to have started all this business, more out of curiosity than anything."

"You think that may be it? The key to this mess with Team Rocket?"

"I wouldn't know," Y sighed out. His hand reached up to run it through his hair, and Aidan noticed it had actually started to gray a little. "All I can tell is that so long ago, far enough back that only AZ would be alive to remember, wherever he may be these days, the meteors fell. But among them was the first meteorite, said to be the meteorite to end all meteorites. It split into two: the small Alpha Meteor and the far larger Omega Meteor."

"Might that have anything to do with Hoenn's legends of Primal Reversion, then?" Aidan questioned, but once more, Y shrugged.

"Could. I did have a theory that, in some way, the meteorites were connected to the very world's origin or some such, but could never find a way to prove it. It's possible that these meteorites were connected to everything like the Lustrous Orb, the Hoenn Legends, the Unova stuff…hell, I wouldn't put it past them being involved with the Megalith and the Sundial." Y sounded giddy, almost like a child, as he waved off towards the object before them, but Aidan simply considered his words. The theory sounded ridiculous, if it was possible at all. Although, Aidan figured, if the idea of the tipping points was provable, then it wasn't a completely ludicrous idea that the meteorites were a thread that was pulled through the events of the world since the dawn of time.

"And the original meteorites?" was Aidan's follow up question.

"Lost to history. All that remains were the rumors that they arrived in two different regions, but the trail ends cold soon after," Y admitted. Once he had, he turned to Aidan. "Now, do you want to tell me why you called me to Anistar City of all places. I don't think it was for the sights or the Sundial."

"I didn't want to go out of my way when I decided to see someone. You're more than welcome to come with," Aidan snapped once more. Having the information he'd wanted to hear, the blonde snapped around on his heels and headed further into the city. Y immediately proceeded after him. Aidan found it odd that he didn't ask where they were going, though it seemed rather obvious, given the only major sights in Anistar.

Sure enough, the approach to the gym drew a scoff of obviousness from the man. Within moments, both were pushing in and towards the bizarre space that was the Anistar Gym. They'd barely taken a couple steps inside when a voice flared out to them.

"Welcome, one who rules ARC, and one who walks the other side!" The voice made Aidan stop, and Y right alongside him. He wasn't surprised that she knew they were there, but the simple commanding presence brought him to that halt. "You have come for information."

"I'm not surprised that your precognition told you that…Gym Leader Olympia," Aidan spoke. He picked his steps up once more, walking on to the sheer battlefield and turning his gaze upwards. As expected, Olympia was floating in midair, her body surrounded by a blue glow as her cloak fluttered around her. The rest of the Gym was empty. "What else does it tell you?"

"Tell me…?" Olympia asked. The purple-haired gym leader swiftly began to descend, coming down to their level, her eyes wide. Aidan stared into them, but couldn't see anything there that was telling. "My ability does not work on command. Is this why you have come?"

"More or less," Aidan admitted. Olympia tilted her head back a bit, regarding him with lidded eyes. "What  _have_  you seen? Surely there is something in there to aid us."

"Perhaps…but what I perceive does not have the power to change your fate," Olympia spoke. To this, Aidan raised his eyebrows, regarding the woman carefully, and with a look of amusement. Was she implying he would meet a grisly end? Or did it simply mean that the events in the world would be unchanged?

"I'm not too concerned," Y spoke to the woman, though she paid him no heed. "Changing fate has become a specialty of this world and its people. Though, knowing what will be at hand would be a boon in the upcoming battle."

"Hmmm…" Olympia mused, now regarding them both carefully. Aidan looked to Y, who shrugged at him yet again. There was nothing they could do if the future-sensing Gym Leader did not wish to tell them anything. Unfortunately, it seemed that was the case as she turned away, her cloak whipping outward as she floated into the air. Aidan sighed…until Olympia's cloak flared out around her, as did a smoldering flame of many colors.

"I see a flame, set to consume the world!" she called. It sounded dramatic, but from the way Olympia's body had gone rigid, Aidan knew it was hardly a joke. "Drawn from the beginning of time! Through the world's history itself! The curtain on a game, long played by those at hand!"

"A game?" Y questioned, but Olympia was too far in her trance to give a solid answer.

"It will spell the end for the world, unless it is turned the right way. The battle to end all battles," the Gym Leader continued. The flames mutated, swirled around, becoming checkered. It was like a chess board with multiple pieces, and something swirling in the middle of it. "From beginning to end, the world will make its final play. A final point…ending where it all began…or perhaps, where the end was triggered. And there, the pieces will gather.

"The ones who will guide the future. The shadow. The golden light. Those filled with  _rage_ …All for a new world to come. Everything will collide! Beginning and end! And it shall be decided! All for that ideal…And you, you shall take part in the final fate." Olympia's vision ceased, as did the swirling flames, combining into the form of a multi-colored arch before splitting away. The Gym Leader now lowered, her body no longer rigid as she turned towards the two of them. Aidan just watched silently for that moment. "That is all I have seen."

"A final battle…" Y mused, almost sounding like it was a triviality. However, Aidan could already tell that it was anything but. He assumed the other man believed the same, even if not stating it.

"Or a final turning point…" the blond breathed out. His hand reached up to touch to his glasses with a scowl. Olympia said nothing, merely continuing to watch the pair of them, like she'd said everything that needed to be said. That confirmed Aidan's suspicions. Long had they battled to make sure no more turning points would come to pass, but now, it seemed they were at the edge of one they could no longer escape. There was no more staving off the fate of the world. It was a truth they could no longer run from. To that end, Aidan asked a final question, believing all other details to be irrelevant in the moment. "And this battle, if it will truly be the end, how will we know?"

Olympia took a moment, her eyes flashing with those colors yet one more time. "Because it will be the end of everything that has led to now.

"This world's current age will at last end as we know it."

* * *

"Hold tight!" Brock yelled, the helicopter pitching to the side. Max flew forward, his face slamming into one of the windows, but missing the door. Brock barely managed to keep his own grip on the railing that would have otherwise sent him capitulating downwards. He reached with his own free hand for Max, but the boy was so occupied with not falling out of the helicopter that he didn't reach for it in that moment. That was fine with Brock.

The helicopter jerked again and Brock flung his hand back to have a dual grip on the railing. His knuckles were whitening from the force exerted by them in that instant, though it was all he could do to truly hold on. Alarms were now blaring in the vicinity, each one shrill and harsh from the cabin of the helicopter. Brock wanted to call out for their pilot, but in the roaring chaos he simply couldn't find the chance to do so.

_Hold fast, Bonnie! I am coming!_  a voice suddenly screamed in Brock's head. Even as the helicopter jerked again, he looked to see the green, bounding shape of Squishy making way for the door that Bonnie had fallen through just moments ago. The doctor certainly hoped that she would be all right, but between the height and location to which she'd fallen, not to mention their own current predicament, he knew there was certainly no guarantee that she would be okay at all.

"Denene!" Dedenne called out, also making to bound after his companion. That, Brock knew he couldn't allow. He may have been too slow to stop the green blob from jumping out after Bonnie, but Dedenne in the middle of the ocean did  _not_  seem like a very good. He detached his hand from the railing and lunged forward for the Antenna Pokémon. Brock's fingers waggled at the air before finally managing to close on Dedenne's tail, sparks jolting up his body from the action. The doctor jerked him back as quickly as he could. "Nene ne!"

"I'm sorry, Dedenne, but I can't let you fall with her," Brock insisted, bringing the small Pokémon to his chest. Max was pushing up now, attempting to straighten his back against the side of the helicopter carefully. The helicopter shuddered again, and the open door banged shut and open again, briefly allowing Brock a look outside. They were flitting quickly by, but whatever drones had attacked them were now coming back for a second attack on the vehicle, fully visible to the naked eye. Meanwhile, Squishy was glowing green, transforming into the dog form before he hit the water's surface.

That mattered little to Brock, as what looked like a strange, drone-supported Pelipper suddenly sent a rocketing Scald for the pilot's seat of their helicopter. Brock cried out, or attempted to, in order to warn the pilot, but the attack was so fast, it hardly would have made a difference. The steam from the strike exploded in the vehicle, flooding the area they were in. The electrical controls sparked and it was all Brock could do to tuck Dedenne into the breast pocket of his vest. The whole helicopter shook, and bile rose in Brock's throat. The whole vehicle seemed to have been sent on a tailspin by the latest attack.

With one of his hands free, Brock lifted off in the shift of gravity, his feet slamming against the top of the helicopter. Nausea continued to roil in his stomach from it all and Brock reached down, trying to once more grab ahold of the railing, only missing by mere inches every time. Max was screaming, though it seemed less from fear and more from a need in the frightening moment. Even Brock felt he would pass out.

Sight was passing around in a blur, and the surrounding sound was naught but a droning klaxon ringing in Brock's ears. His mouth clamped itself shut, afraid that if he opened it, his guts would come flying out all over the cabin. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and the sound of what seemed to be rushing sea was gathering ever closer to his ears. His eyes only widened at the realization of how dead they'd be once they hit the water.

The helicopter jerked again and Brock's hand released from the railing entirely, causing his whole body to float backward and slam into the ceiling of the helicopter. Said vehicle was doing no more than a spin, rolling in midair as it made way for wherever its impact point would inevitably be. Brock's body fell, now hitting the floor of the helicopter as he began to slide a little, air forced out of his lungs. Max had fallen, too, almost hurling from the level of tumbling they had been experiencing. Dedenne screeched inside Brock's pocket, but the doctor was too focused on retaining his own presence of mind.

That, on its own, was difficult, with the entire world feeling like it was on some sort of tilt-a-whirl journey that he simply could not get off of, no matter how much he wanted to. Brock's head slammed against the floor, sending stars exploding through his eyes with a loud cough, when he saw something outside of the rotating doors: sand. White sand. Not blue. Not water.

There was land beneath them, and it was the only chance they'd get.

"Max…hold…on…" Brock grunted out. He pulled himself along the floor for just a moment as he reached forward to clasp Max's wrist. Once the younger boy was secured along with him, Brock kicked against one of the seats, propelling him towards the ever opening and closing door. He closed his eyes further as they traveled whatever distance there was left to close, and hoped that the door would open when needed. As the duo slid along, the helicopter let out a horrible whine that said they were nearing to an absolute catastrophic failure, but Brock tried to ignore that. He just focused on the door, and getting out of there.

The door slid backwards, slamming against its frame in the open position, indicating from the stream of light filtering through his lids that they were on their way out. The helicopter twisted and tumbled in the air as the door began to close inward and Brock held his breath, hoping they'd make it. The door inched closer towards them…and closer…and then they were free, sliding out of the exit towards the beach surface. Or Brock thought so, until the door finished its closing cycle and slammed upon Max's ankle with extreme force.

"Aggh!" Max roared in pain, tears flying involuntarily from his eyes at the event. Brock looked back, seeing the boy's foot flopping around at an impossible angle. His fingers slackened, and Max let go, sending the both of them away from another. They spiraled through the air on a course for the sands, not too far away by now. Brock impacted with ground at the same time as his companion, slamming into the sands. The helicopter gave off what sounded like a final groan, and then slammed into the beach some distance away. The gust of wind from the resulting collision washed over Brock and pushed him back down, face-first into the sand as he coughed loudly.

The gale howled over Brock's head for a good half a minute before calming down and replacing itself with the sound of the ceaseless surf. His hand shook, pressing into the beach and pushing himself up, continuing to cough as he did so. Already, his hand had gone to his belt and two of the pokeballs there. He silently called out both Croagunk and Blissey as he struggled to stand. "M-Max!"

"I'm…I'm all right!" Max's nasally voice called back. Brock shook his head, trying to eradicate the intense ringing in his ears that was trying to block out all other manner of sounds. It distorted his vision, making it more difficult than it should have been to locate Max, to the point he barely noticed Dedenne popping out of his pocket and on to the beach. There was radiating heat all around him from the helicopter, and Brock certainly knew that their pilot hadn't made it; those drones had targeted the helicopter effectively enough to have likely taken their pilot out immediately. "My…my foot is broken."

"Hold on," Brock grunted. He was finally on his feet again, though wavering and nearly pitching to the side before Blissey caught him and smiled at him. He patted her with gratitude and shut his eyes tighter. The ringing began to diminish in his head as he slowly reopened them to their usual state. Now that the blurs were gone, he could get a better view of the island they had crash-landed upon, surrounded by nothing but ocean, only a few palm trees dotting the area to provide some shade. Under one of these trees was Max, his foot still sticking out at a horrible angle. "Croagunk, Dedenne, keep watch."

"Croa…" Croagunk agreed, having moved over to the ocean. Brock figured he was probably staring at his reflection, but knew the Toxic Mouth Pokémon would spring into action if a threat happened to arrive. Dedenne had also scampered to the water's edge, clearly worried for his missing trainer and friend. Brock, meanwhile, regained the feeling in his own legs to make his way over to Max. Kneeling at his friend's side, Brock touched his fingers to the leg.

"Gah…hurts…" Max hissed out, showing just how tender it was. Knowing that, Brock turned to Blissey, who glowed a light pink. The waves that surrounded her figure began to pulse outwards, flowing over the broken foot. As she did so, Brock reached into his bag and brought out a brace and bandages. Working as quickly as he could, he set the foot and bandaged it tightly, though Max still grunted from the pain. "Feels a bit better."

"It should," Brock told him, breathing out through his teeth a moment. "If we had a Center's facilities, you'd be back up on it in hours. But, as it is, let's keep you off it for now until we can figure out a way-"

"Gunk!" Croagunk shouted out from the water's edge. Brock's anticipatory Pokémon was already acting, purple globs of Venoshock appearing in his hands. Blissey, too, seemed to be on edge from her ruffling, while Dedenne's cheeks sparked. They were no longer alone.

"Gallade…help us out…" Max gasped out, reaching for his belt and calling his prime Pokémon out for battle. Gallade seemed to instantly react with concern for his trainer, wanting to dash for him with wide eyes. Max shook his head and the Blade Pokémon stopped, understanding his wishes. Brock was waiting, straightening himself, as he listened.

It became quickly obvious that Croagunk was far ahead of the game, hearing the drones well before they were appearing. Though, appear they did, some materializing out of thin air, but all of them flitting swiftly over the ocean, carrying an amalgamation of Pokémon that stemmed from a Gabite, to what looked like a Metagross of all things. This was definitely going to be a rough fight. "Go, Croagunk! Blissey, Egg Bomb!"

"Ps-Psycho Cut!" Max screamed out, sounding guttural through his obvious pain. Croagunk jumped into the air, sand billowing upwards from his action, as he threw his arms back and tossed the Venoshock right at the drone with the Metagross. It collided, exploding the machine in midair and sending the Steel type to the ground.

"Meta!" it shouted angrily and Brock peered at it suspiciously. As it skidded along the beach, a black beam formed near its mouth, coalescing. For having no trainer, it was acting with remarkable precision, and Brock had to wonder just how they were being controlled. There were no markings, and the drone had obviously not done it. No devices. No machine or soundwaves. Nothing. It seemed so remarkably…not like Team Rocket. At least, not those that he remembered.

"Croagunk, on top! Brick Break!" Croagunk spun through the air as he descended, landing atop Metagross. His arm raised upwards, glowing a bright white before he slammed it down onto the Pokémon. Blissey and Dedenne were on the move, as well, bright eggs forming in the former's short arms that she spun around and chucked at one of the other incoming drones. The latter sent a crackling orb of electricity to the air that showered out and shuddered through the last of the remaining targets and Pokémon there. Both of their own attacks landed at their targets, as well, exploding with force that sent the attacking Pokémon sprawled onto the ground. Gallade rushed forward, arm glowing purple before he hurled the crescent at Metagross. Croagunk leapt off as the strike collided, sending the heavy Steel type into the water.

"There's gonna be more," Max pointed out with a sharp intake of breath. Brock was inclined to agree. There had only been three drones there, leaving their participants stranded on the beach. Brock shook his head, rubbing at his temples for a second as he approached the downed Gabite. It looked to be stirring a little, and Brock reached down to check it out.

The Pokémon seemed okay, if completely dazed, but the odd part was how its pulse was beginning to rise. It had been steady before, if lower than Brock would have hoped for in a healthy Pokémon, but now it was quickly racing back, like it wanted to get caught up. The anomaly made Brock frowned, but knowing that the Pokémon were okay, he turned his attention to the downed drones. For the most part, the mechs were in pieces, though there were some particularly large ones that he approached. Croagunk was there, too, now staring at his reflection in the shiny surface of one.

That seemed completely normal to Brock, at least, until the insidious observation made its way into his mind: the robot was entirely blank. There was no red R or any other marking to suggest that the drones were from Team Rocket at all, despite the fact they had been used in the operation at Mount Chimney. It was small, and Brock was unclear if it meant anything at all, though now he could only deal with the fact that they had been attacked on their own route…like they were being used as some sort of bait.

"Get ready, Max. I don't think they'll want to let us out until we take down every last one here," Brock snapped to him. There was a loud humming noise, more like a buzzing, as from high up in the sky, a group of drones at least ten times the size of those that came before, each carrying an aggressive looking Pokémon, arrived with speed. The implications and suspicions coming to rest in the back of his mind, Brock came closer to Max while the drones surrounded all of them.

He'd have to focus on getting the both of them out of here alive before he could think about anything else. Knowing that, Croagunk leapt into action, Dedenne huffed as he gathered electricity for a new attack and Blissey readied her bombs. Both sides struck forward, and the island exploded with the force of colliding attacks.

* * *

Bonnie was falling, her weight being crushed by the turbulent ocean, stealing her breath away. She tried to kick her legs, tried to break free, but found herself being shackled by the water. Bubbles ghosted upwards, away from her breath, and the sunlight was fading as her body sunk. She didn't think it would happen like this; from all of Clemont's talks of science, she was almost sure that she shouldn't be sinking so quickly. Not that she always listened when he blabbered on. She regretted that now.

_Gotta get out of here! Gotta swim for the surface!_  Her thoughts continued to scream out to her in that same fashion, and once more her legs and arms thrashed around, trying to push herself upwards. Soon, she was forced to stop at the pain rippling across her chest. Her breath burst out in bubbles again, and one of her hands flew to her mouth, trying to stop it from doing so, while her other hand flew to her breasts, clutching at the pain that was jolting here there.  _No…come on…move! Move! Move!_

_Bonnie! Hold fast! I am coming!_  Bonnie's eyes snapped open at the sound of Squishy's voice, though she didn't call for him, knowing it would be folly to do so. She wondered if Dedenne was okay, or if he, too, was going to come swimming after her. She didn't want that, especially as her body sank lower and lower. This wasn't natural. It was the only conclusion she could come to as she continued to sink within the void of that ocean.

Something blasted through the water, like a giant current or Pokémon beneath the surface, slamming into her smaller body. The riptide forced her further under, now being pulled downwards with a magnetic force. She coughed, unable to keep her breath in much longer. Salt water flowed into her mouth, the taste fouling up her senses, and the burning sensation in her chest turned into the kind that she could only refer to as knives stabbing into her chest. There was a shape above her in the water, looking familiar to her as it burst with green light, but her vision was blurring so much, she wasn't sure it was actually there.

_Help…someone…Clemont…_ Bonnie's mind felt itself going blank deep underneath the water, and her eyes threatened to shut for good, the water and the pressure crushing her bit by bit. She coughed, the exhale floating upwards in a stream of bubbles. Her fingers unclenched, her body going numb, and Bonnie felt ready to slip into oblivion.  _Lights…green lights…Squishy…?_

_Bonnie, I am almost…there…!_

That somehow didn't matter to Bonnie, slipping to the floor of the ocean. She was certain she should have died by now, but her breath was just leaving her lungs as her back hit the sandy floor, deeper than she would have thought possible. Her arm spread out, splaying across the ocean floor. The dark shape above her finally closed in, changing form to a rather large thing, green lights streaming to it, but Bonnie's eyes were going dark as her fingers finally finished unfurling.

Just as her last breath was exhaled, her nail tapped against something, and her chest fell, the breath stilling inside her.

All that remained with Bonnie was nothingness.

It was just a minute, the world completely dark around her, settling in the ocean with a sadness…and then it exploded with color. Green sparks burst out from the ocean floor, like it came from a vein that was spraying the world's lifeblood itself. The sparks touched to Bonnie's skin, sending a shock of life through her tiny form. She gasped loudly, feeling power and strength flowing back into her near broken body.

Visions were whirling inside her head, and despite the water, her body moved without restraint. It curled in on itself, eyes widening as the images popped throughout her brain. It was like nine years ago, but without all the pain or the torturous reason for doing so. Bonnie began to shake rapidly as all of the visions entered her head, but she couldn't yet discern what they were.

_Bonnie! Bonnie! Speak to me! Speak to your Squishy!_  her partner cried out, reaching forward to cradle her, but clearly finding himself unable to drag Bonnie out of that spot. It was like an anchor to that one location, and Bonnie turned her eyes up to Squishy, transformed into his large Complete Zygarde forme.

"Hah…hah…" Bonnie was gasping, and her eyes went completely wide, feeling colors spreading through their irises. She could see so clearly now, but it was hurting her brain. She could see the veins so deep down on the ocean floor, painted in multiple colors, writhing with energy… _sick_. She couldn't figure out how or why it happened, all this in her brain, but her hand reached up, touching to Squishy's large face. "Are you…why…?"

Squishy didn't answer, and it confirmed to the lemon blonde that her connection with the transforming Legendary Pokémon was the exact reason she could see all this. She just didn't know why it was happening  _now_ , until her eyes focused and saw the veins stretching through the ocean floor. Now that she could fully see them, she could tell there were two veins that looked fine. Most importantly, it was like they were feeding into the same place, as though compensating for something…or drawing towards something for energy. All she didn't know was what all of this was trying to tell her.

"AAAAAH!" Bonnie screamed, her breath fully entering into her as her exhale bubbled up. Her eyes flashed wide open as the images now slammed into her completely, each tinged in a separate tone of color. She couldn't stop from hyperventilating, but already, she could finally make out each of the different images.

A world where fire, ice and lightning destroyed all that was held dear.

A world where two ancient legends dueled off the coast of an island, drowning and burning the world all at once.

A world where all emotion was destroyed, disintegrated by a space and time anomaly.

One by one, Bonnie could see events play out like a spool of thread, linking together. There were stars, appearing to her as little orbs, that were blasted apart one at a time, while other worlds yet remained, hanging on and connected by but a single thread. She followed that thread in her vision, noticing it was all attached to a singular object. Through the water, that object seemed to travel, and Bonnie felt like she was being pulled backwards.

Through time, she felt the water rush by her, rippling across its ever-changing surface. The spool of thread continued to bind itself, drawing back to the moment that things, perhaps, began to go ever so wrong. A pulsing golden light shined out, showing a Pokémon that was familiar to Bonnie; one she'd only seen once, so very long ago: Arceus. It looked weak, powerless, and yet tied inexplicably with humanity.

A meteor struck, but not just one location. It rained countless meteors, including a large one that split in two, binding itself to the earth. There was devastation in its wake. Trees and plants withered. People and Pokémon alike died, and though Arceus attempted to save the land with its powers, it was weakened. So other Pokémon took action around the world. Bonnie watched as green flames revitalized the land, a song calmed the seas, and a rainbow flame restored that which was lost, igniting a spark. All of them were tied in its place, connected to that string.

The thread unraveled, just as the meteors that had desecrated the land did, flying out to meet with those other golden orbs that were the stars. Bonnie could feel her breath shortening, her vision holding her in complete and utter rapture. It was like a single event that the resurrection of her body had tied herself to.

Then the strings began to snap. One by one, and the veins pulsed, only to quiet down. Bonnie wasn't sure what to understand from the sight of it all anymore. She felt she was losing her mind, gripping her head and just wishing again and again to make it all go away. There was so much pain, death and rancor going through her head, and the familiar space of nothingness to consume the void that was left behind.

Bubbling up beneath her vision, Bonnie saw those veins beneath the sea, each pulsing with light, sickening from the wickedness poured upon them. They were flowing somewhere, like a source, or perhaps from a source. She couldn't be sure, but she could feel them writhing… _shifting_. The world itself was changing, as though correcting an imbalance that had been created by the disasters so long ago, before any single one of them could exist. She felt herself being pulled in, towards the sight of a ragged world, a horrific vision before her very eyes. Cracks were appearing in the veins, the world crumbling away, and with it were the other destroyed spaces, coming together as one, blending in their pain and sadness, threatening to break…

"STOP IT!" Bonnie shouted, and her eyes were suddenly freed, her breath returning, only to ghost up in bubbles. Clearly, Squishy no longer took his chances, gripping to her and blasting upwards with all the speed he could muster, firing for the surface. Bonnie held to her breath for just a moment until the two broke the surface and were flying into the sky. The lemon blonde hacked and coughed loudly, water spluttering out of her mouth from her time underneath. Once she stopped heaving, and her voice returned, she gasped out, "Squishy…what…what was that…?"

Squishy was silent, hovering in the air, eyes glowing as he silently floated forward, to the small island that was in the distance. Bonnie turned in his arms.

"Squishy. What did I just see? ! Tell me now!" she demanded, and Squishy stopped his progression. He looked to consider just what he wanted to tell her before lowering his head.

_The world…is moving towards its end_ , the Order Pokémon responded. Bonnie felt her heart rate increase, and her breaths draw themselves shorter.  _The veins…I can only imagine that they are sickening, for whatever reason. Perhaps your tie with me allowed you to connect with the world's power and witness this breaking, but I cannot be sure…_

"Did you know this? Did you know this the whole time?" Bonnie asked. She was growing a little angry, hoping that her longtime partner wasn't hiding such crucial information from her. Zygarde lowered its head and then shook it slowly.

_No. Only after Nova Town, when the first vein truly began to sicken, did I feel it within me, and even then…I could barely sense it at all, like my ties with it had been cut,_  Squishy answered. Bonnie calmed down a bit, but continued to remain at attention, continuing to listen.  _The world is sickening, Bonnie. These events are making it compensate, drawing power from that which is not natural to the world. Originally, all its power was drawn from the Tree of Beginning, that which acted in Arceus' stead, but now…_

"So, what will happen? Where is the power shifting to? From what?" Bonnie yelled out, a slight bit of panic inside, but Squishy seemed unable to answer.

_I cannot say. My power and tie with the world is diminished; I can only imagine that Bluey is the same, wherever it may be. Only Arceus could say at this point, but its power is weak,_  was Squishy's newest response. Bonnie swallowed at that, only for Squishy to finish up.  _However, all of that is irrelevant. No matter the way the world is moving, or what it is moving towards, this final moment is for the humans and Pokémon to decide. For that, we shall work together. No matter what._

"R-right!" Bonnie agreed. It wasn't much of an answer, but she trusted that Squishy truly couldn't say any more. After all, he had never had the power of precognition, but knowing that the world was beginning to crumble, and wanting to do what he could, was enough for Bonnie. For now…all they could do was… "Well, if something's happening, we need to tell everyone."

_Yes, though I cannot hold this for long…_ Squishy informed her. Bonnie nodded and Squishy blasted towards the island, which seemed to be smoking, the closer that they moved to it. She continued to grip to him, even as his body descended while glowing a bright green. Just as they approached the edge of it, his form dissipated, leaving him as the singular blob that Bonnie grabbed to before hitting the sand and rolling across it, caking her legs in the material. She sprang to her feet.

"Max! Brock!" Bonnie yelled, their names tearing from her lips in a gasp as she ran forward. Feeling was returning to her limbs and throat as she tripped a bit, but continued onward as she felt her body rejuvenate itself. There really was smoke from the area, downed machines and Pokémon around the small islet. Gallade was collapsed against a palm tree with Max, looking exhausted, while Blissey, wobbly on her feet, seemed to be treating Croagunk. Brock was on the ground, heaving atop the sands with burn marks on his arms and legs. "What happened? ! Are you two okay? !"

"Dedene!" chirped a very familiar voice, which jumped up towards her. Dedenne instantly landed on her chest, snuggling in with relief and exhaustion. She smiled at him, but soon turned her attention to her companions, running up to Brock and looking him over. He turned his head and smiled, holding out a thumbs up.

"We're all right…just tired…and a little bruised," Brock gasped out, clearly looking like he was about to pass out. "They gave us a tough fight, I'll admit, those drones…especially the cloaked ones. Must've been how they followed us without us noticing, ha ha…But I'm just glad to see you're okay."

"That doesn't matter if you all are hurt," Bonnie exclaimed, looking around to all of them. Max didn't seem to be moving much, his foot bandaged up from something that had clearly happened earlier.

"We're okay, though," Brock reassured her, placing his hand on top of her head kindly. "They must have wanted to stop us from reaching the League. I feel like they did it to specifically take us out, for whatever reason, but we beat them back. How about you?"

Bonnie exhaled, falling back and feeling her butt hit the beach while she stared at the doctor. She sighed in relief, even realizing that their surroundings were desolate, with no sign of escape given the downed chopper at the edge of the island. "I'm fine, but…the world isn't. I saw things there, and Squishy told me that…well, something's happening to make things sick. I…"

"Bonnie? What's going on?" Max asked after a brief moment of silence. The lemon blonde looked up to her rival, then down to the exhausted Squishy, and then back to her companions once more.

"I think the  _real_  Team Rocket is way more dangerous than we thought," Bonnie admitted, her hands coming to twist themselves together. "I think they aren't after conquest or glory…and whatever they're doing to reach it is making things a lot worse than any of us could have imagined."

* * *

There was humming in Serena's ears, and she sat up. It had changed. For a couple hours now, the thrumming sound had been the same, continued on as the same. Now, however, it was changing. It sounded lower, like it was descending. The honey blonde looked down to Sylveon, sleeping calmly in her lap, and returned her before anything more could be done. Then she looked to Dawn, the bluenette taking a small nap. Deciding to let her do so until things were confirmed, Serena turned away and stood, crossing over to the window of the small room they had sequestered themselves in.

On the whole, the Team Rocket airship turned out to be quite the luxurious one. Serena had to wonder if, perhaps, it had originally been meant to move armies of agents in droves, but she was hoping to never have to figure out the answer to that. It had been more than tense enough sneaking onto the ship itself. Between the possibility of being detected or there being even more grunts aboard to contend with, she had almost been completely sure that they wouldn't have even managed to make it to Team Rocket's base, wherever that was.

So, upon their seemingly successful infiltration of the flying craft, both Serena and Dawn had made to figure out a place to hide. In the empty ship, that turned out to be surprisingly easier said than done in the grand scheme of things. Every room had seemed to have some sort of war fortress purpose…and it looked like it had been used recently.

"Do you think…they're planning some kind of war?" Dawn had asked worriedly.

"Luplup…" Piplup called dolefully, peeking around a corner to make sure they wouldn't be caught by some straggler that was in the halls. Serena had no answer to that, but she was absolutely certain that whatever the case was, none of it could be a good thing.

More disturbing than ever, in any case, was the fact that Zager had distinctly mentioned Ash, and though he had been missing since whatever had happened in Nova Town, Serena still held on to that hope that he was alive and out there. She just hoped that Zager's words weren't quite bluster in this situation, and that he really did have a clue as to her husband's whereabouts. It was when Serena had voiced this that Dawn brought up a rather sagely point in the grand scheme of things.

"Maybe he was lying, or doesn't know what he's talking about, but we can get info on Team Rocket, right?" she told to her, adding a wink at the end. Somehow, Serena had thought she was covering up her own fear in descending to the belly of the beast.

"I know, but I guess, I'm just worried about the point that if they  _are_  looking for Ash, what happens when they find him? Why are they looking for him in the first place?" Serena asked. Dawn had no answers for her, and nor did she have any answers for her upon stumbling to a room that looked like a mobile science lab.

"What in the-?" At Dawn's exclamation in that moment, Serena slapped a hand over her friend's mouth once more and then pulled her back. Zager appeared to be inside the lab, though thankfully hadn't seen or heard them at that juncture. He seemed to be busy consolidating data (if Serena's memories of Clemont's science talk was anything to go by), but it certainly said that whether or not he was searching for Ash, that was far from his only objective.

It was at this exact moment that the two women decided to hide, officially, throwing themselves into a very large closet with a multitude of combat Team Rocket outfits, right off of what seemed to be a kitchen area. There was even a window there, staring out of the aircraft itself. Figuring they would be safe there until they got to where they needed to go, both of them chose to rest, with Dawn dropping off to sleep. Serena's mind, however, was too busy whirling with thoughts to allow herself to sleep, and she had to once more suppress the feeling of nausea inside her.

It was the exact reason she was up and at attention with the slightest shift of the airship's engine, surprised to hear the difference in it at all as she came to stand. Her feet shuffled over to the window, staring out, wondering just where they were. Gathering that observation took some time, due to the cloud cover that still concealed their descent, but that cleared up in next to no time, allowing Serena the clearest vision of their location.

"Dawn!" she hissed loudly, and the bluenette twitched. Her companion jerked, rubbing at her eyes while Piplup woke alongside her. They looked over at Serena, blearily, until the honey blonde waved them over. That seemed to command their attention, as both trainer and Pokémon stood, finally waking themselves up to join Serena at the window. Just like herself, they both raised their eyebrows in surprise. "A sight, isn't it?"

"And who knew…This is Kanto," Dawn pointed out, glancing further out the window. Serena nodded; being married to someone from Kanto meant she could easily tell when they were in the region, and the style of houses that signified Viridian City some distance away indicated that. More impressive, however, was truly the area they were really approaching.

It was a giant base, with a large, red R on it, though to anyone around the area, it was probably too treacherous for them to even reach this point at all. Canyon walls, rugged and rough with brown and shimmering black rocks, surrounded the building, making it boxed in and perfectly hidden within plain sight. There were various loading bays and walkways that extended out from the complex, but regardless, the Team Rocket base was truly the epitome of secret in the location they had chosen…at least until now.

The whining of the engine changed once more as it seemed to finally reach a landing pad for the airship to go. Serena tried to get a better angle to see down there, catching a mere glimpse. The canyon floor looked far less busy than what was going on up above. That area looked mostly like a place set aside for construction, with thin, narrow pathways that looked deadly, stretching into the canyon beyond the base, even if one could stand on the tops of the canyon itself. There was a light glow down there, and Serena wondered if they were building something big for their plan, but chased the thought away as the airship finally groaned one more time, touching down to the landing pad with another loud hiss.

"Well, heh heh…looks like we're here," Dawn chuckled out, though she looked white as a sheet. Serena could admit to trembling as well. They had both been through so much, but the thought of an infiltration for information that they didn't even know existed was topping the list for scary things. There was a sound outside the closet and both Serena and Dawn drew back, hoping to let themselves be hidden by the hanging clothes. Their breaths were held as they pushed back, hoping against hope, especially when the door to the closet slid open.

"Alastair, I'm sure Giovanni is waiting for his report," Zager stated, though his voice sounded from some far distance away. It told Serena exactly who was near them, and she wondered if the man knew they had snuck aboard from just how quick he had gotten here upon landing. "I'll need to see to this data before we move to the final phase of the plan."

"Of course. I was merely checking on the uniforms for the team to board soon," Alastair's voice called out. There was a brief grunt of acknowledgement from Zager, and a slight shifting of the clothes. Footsteps were heard, slow and deliberate at first, before pausing, and then taking off with greater speed away from the closet as it closed of its own accord. "I have my own duties to complete, after all. Do you know if…?"

His voice and its owner faded in the distance. The women let their breaths out loudly, hardly believing they had managed to make it past that without being caught by such a perceptive man. Dawn was clutching at her chest. Serena, meanwhile, took a moment to steady herself, and then strode back to the window. Outside of it, she could see Alastair striding into the base from where they were, some operatives of Team Rocket snapping themselves into a salute, dressed in uniform.

"Well, Dawn, time for a do or die situation, I guess…"

"I'm just hoping it's more 'do' than 'die', thank you very much," the bluenette admitted, now coming to stand. Serena nodded, taking her hat off and running a hand through her hair. It was a dangerous situation either way, but they had come this far. Whether Alastair knew they had hitched a ride or not was irrelevant.

It was time to find out more. Serena sighed out. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was a lore heavy chapter, huh? A shorter one to be sure, which, when you're not dealing with a big journey or battle, it inevitably becomes shorter in nature. But in any case, there was a lot of content this time around, from the meeting with Olympia to the stuff on the deserted island and Bonnie's insane visions. The world is crumbling and the final tipping point for the world is near. If that doesn't spell "end of series" I don't know what does. Of course, there's more clues to it than that, but I'm leaving those covered up for now. Instead, we've reached the point of arrival at Team Rocket's base. What madness will happen here?
> 
> The infiltration has begun, so I hope you'll all stick around for it. In the meantime, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	10. An Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter sparked some really great theories from you all. Should be interesting to see what the rest of the story provides. Chapter 10 time!

Chapter 10

An Infiltration

"Maybe we should think this through," Dawn said as Serena opened the door to the closet's exit. The honey blonde poked her head out, looking around to make sure that they were, indeed, alone. That seemed to be the case, with the kitchen area seeming completely quiet and empty. That done, she turned back to her friend, who was clasping Piplup in her arms. "I mean, we can't just walk right in as we are. That'd be weird."

"Lup," Piplup agreed. Serena had to, as well. Judging from the guards that were right outside the landing platform, guarding the airship with hawk-like security, there was no way they'd be able to even  _leave_  the airship without being caught in seconds. That would preclude any sort of progress they were looking to make. Serena put a finger to her chin, and then remembered exactly where they were, shifting her eyes over to Dawn, a smirk on her lips. The bluenette shared in that smirk.

"Well, we can always dress up," she said. A small giggle escaped Dawn's lips, and they both moved down the rack of clothing, looking for what seemed to be female uniforms. Serena pulled one off the hanger, looking it over for just a second. She was glad to see it was nothing like Jessie's uniform from years past, with no midriff; it just meant less complications in hiding her own clothing. Although, the reminiscence did make her wonder whether she'd run into her magenta-haired rival inside the base at all.

Taking the clothes off the hanger, Serena began to pull the skirt up, bunching her skirt and blouse to make sure it would all fit properly before sliding the shirt on and placing her hands inside the gloves that came with it. Dawn had done much the same, with Piplup diving inside of the shirt in order to be hidden. It looked odd on the young woman, who laughed nervously. Dressed in the clothing, both of them swiped hats from the top of the rack and placed them upon their heads, making sure to stow their rather identifying hair beneath the caps.

"Gotta say, we look pretty good for Team Rocket agents," Dawn admitted, winking at Serena. She laughed in response, finding the whole thing rather funny in a dark way. "Let's hope it works for them. Probably should, compared to…"

Dawn's trailed off response told Serena just what she was about to talk about, and the little smile on her face dropped off, though it wasn't like she was mad. Instead, she decided to take it all in good humor. "We should be fine. Ash would just run in, Pikachu and all the others right with him. Instead, we're going to be sneaky and see how much information we can gather."

"No need to worry, I guess," Dawn breathed out, patting at where Piplup was and then nodding to Serena. They were finally ready to infiltrate the base.

Feeling certain of this, the two women turned and finally left the closet, striding as confidently as they figured any member of Team Rocket would on their own ship. It was still utterly nerve-wracking to Serena, trying to hold the self-assured gait of any member of Team Rocket. Dawn looked just as nervous, walking stiffly next to her as they proceeded for the exit of the airship. It came sooner than expected, but both held their heads high and walked down the ramp to the landing platform. As soon as they touched down to it, they felt the cold air of the canyon wash over them, its rocky precipices looking harsh and uninviting.

"You guys are late! What took so long for you grunts to get off the ship?" barked a harsh voice. Serena and Dawn both snapped to attention, staring right across at the two Team Rocket members that were guarding the entrance to the base on the platform. One was glaring angrily at them while the other addressed them. "Weren't there three of you on Doctor Zager's protective detail?"

"Um, complications," Dawn said, her voice warbling at the end. Serena blinked, unsure of what she wanted to say, exactly. "The doctor was interfered with at the site. Our other member was knocked out."

"Tch, grunts that just can't hack it," the operative in front of them said. "Not that I'm to talk, on guard duty. But go get yourselves cleaned up. You look horrible in those outfits."

"Y-yes. For the g-glory of Team Rocket," Serena responded, throwing a salute up. She wasn't sure if it was exactly the right thing to say, but the grunt waved it away, allowing the two to proceed inside the opening door relatively unnoticed. It was a tense moment as the silent grunt glared at them, but once the door had snapped shut, they let out an exhalation of great relief. "Oh, goodness, this is more tense than I thought…"

"He called us  _ugly_ ," Dawn said with a scowl on her face. Piplup popped out for a moment, touching his flipper to his trainer's face. "Team Rocket really is stupid."

"Let's just hope they're stupid enough to not recognize us, yeah?" Serena said comfortingly, patting her friend on the back. Dawn nodded, still not looking happy about the slight against the two of them, but agreed on moving forward. Straightening their uniforms (with Piplup popping back into it), the two of them walked down the hallway that led to the base proper.

It was certainly an experience right from the beginning.

The base, in and of itself, seemed almost exactly like what Serena would have expected from a criminal syndicate in hiding. Metal walls with the sleekest of sleek technology for everything around them. The floors were polished to a sheen, making them nearly slick to walk on, yet loud as well, with squeaks from every footstep bounding off the walls in an echo. It looked a little twisty, as well, with numerous doors and shoot offs from the area into other hallways. Though none of that surprised Serena; instead, she was merely surprised by the level of activity.

Walking down that first, main hallway, head swiveling back and forth as she and Dawn looked for a map to help them get their bearings, Serena could see all manner of interactions. While her assault on Po Town with Ash and the others eight years ago had shown the group in Team Skull to be full of freewheeling buffoons, Team Rocket was nothing like that. Yes, there were operatives gathered in the rooms to the side, some of which were relaxing, but all of them seemed to be on high alert. Some were gathering Pokémon, others weapons, while yet others were leaning over a table, as if going over a battle plan.

That wasn't even getting into the fact that every room seemed to have something going on, and as they turned down a hallway, they found it was busy up and down the entire corridor. Serena could hear Dawn make a sharp inhale next to her ear, as they both realized the same thing: they were in way over their head. Serena's fists clenched, the gloves of the Team Rocket outfit making a somewhat audible noise.  _No giving up. Have to find some answers._

"Come on," Serena whispered, drawing her back up in confidence, and plunging into the crowd. There was no immediate context to where any one of the operatives were heading, but from the moderate pace the women walked at, they both began to get an understanding of where everyone was heading. Snippets of conversation, in particular, aided in that endeavor immensely.

"…mess hall for filling up beforehand…"

"Make sure you get that stuff to the transport. We'll need it."

"Medic bay on the third floor! Clean your vomit up, man! Doctor Louise is busy enough as it is! You shouldn't burden a Pillar so much!" Serena had stopped at that one. She'd heard that term before, from Zager and Alastair. Not that she knew what a Pillar was, but if it was involved in even the slightest way with whatever the Rockets had planned for the world or Ash, she knew it was a place to start looking.

"Third floor, huh?" Serena muttered out of her mouth towards Dawn. The bluenette's eyebrow arched as a light smile settled on to her face. "What floor are we on now?"

"Uh…good question?" Dawn chuckled out nervously, clearly holding herself back from looking around. All it meant was that they were stuck once again, just with an actual direction instead of wandering aimlessly. Feeling they should at least keep moving, Serena started walking again, aiming for the end of the hallway. The amount of operatives thinned as they approached the end of it, where the corridor split in two. Stopping at the end, she looked down both sides, realizing that one led to a stairwell. Instantly, they both took that route, arriving at the door with a number painted on it. "Second floor. Pretty high up for a second floor."

"Maybe they have a basement level or something," Serena said as she pushed the door open. The stairwell had less people, like they were all using an elevator to move whatever they needed to. Whatever it was, she was certain they were all very busy, armed to the teeth with whatever was going on here in Team Rocket. The two women stepped on the stairs to climb upwards, when a door down below seemed to fly open without any provocation. They stopped, and looked over the edge of the stairs to see a woman stride out. Serena almost gasped, grabbing Dawn and pulling her against the wall as the woman walked up the stairs lightly and swiftly.

"Sere-" Serena elbowed Dawn swiftly to shut her up. She tried to get control over her brain as the woman strode up the stairs.

She was the same exact one. The one that had attacked them at Nova Town near the nameless grave. Now that she was no longer challenging them, merely passing by like a swift-moving emissary of darkness, Serena could take in her features, hoping against hope that the woman wouldn't notice her there. The honey blonde's eyes looked directly at the woman's empty expression, focused on naught but where she was going, with the shadows of the stairwell distorted by her swift movement until she reached the third floor. Serena looked back down to Dawn as that unseen doorway opened above them.

"Let's follow her," Serena instructed. Dawn, looking completely nonplussed, shrugged and accepted the suggestion. Looking to make sure no one was around to follow  _them_ , Serena stepped forward. She craned her neck up the stairs to see the last of the woman's auburn hair disappear through the closing door, and then led Dawn up the stairs.

"Is there a reason we're following this specific person?" Dawn whispered out harshly, though in the silence of the stairwell, there was really no need to. Serena answered as they remained in motion.

"That woman…she was in Nova Town, said something about Ash." Dawn nodded to this, accepting the answer as they pushed the door back open to the third floor. Entering into the hallway, Serena saw the flash of hair that indicated their quarry, far too obvious in the much less populated hallway. Silently, they gave chase, turning down one hallway and then another, but keeping their distance to ensure she didn't notice them. After some time, said woman turned into a door on the side, leading to what looked like a rather large room.

"Think that's the medical bay?" Dawn asked, her tone indicating she knew full well that Serena didn't have an answer. She just proceeded straight towards it.

"Hey! Grunts!" Serena stopped, feeling Dawn tighten up next to her, as though recognizing the voices. They turned, snapping themselves into a salute so as to not appear suspicious. Upon doing so, Serena was instantly able to see two operatives that were approaching them, a Raticate in between them and both wearing condescending expressions. One had voluminous blonde hair, while the other, a man, had green hair. It was the woman that was speaking. "What are you doing, lazing about the medical hallway?"

"Er…um…We were just getting ourselves checked out before the next operation," Dawn said, though it wasn't quite as convincing as Serena would have liked. Either way, the two operatives sneered at them, hardly recognizing the fumble. It reminded Serena a lot of Jessie, in a way, just with more condescension and villainy.

"Grunts don't need medical work," the green-haired man said. "You're just to do as you're told."

"Quiet, Burger," the woman snapped, leering at both Dawn and Serena. The man gave an indignant huff, telling her that his name was "Butch" or something like that. However, neither Serena nor Dawn dared to change their stance in fear of being discovered. "I don't like you two. You're far too pretty for grunts. Are you going to be part of the next operation?"

"Yes," Serena answered, though she wasn't quite sure what would follow. The woman scowled further.

"I don't like that kind of answer. I doubt two grunts like you would be put on such a sensitive operation," she snapped angrily. Dawn tensed further, but neither flinched at the anger from it. "That kind of talk reminds me of that idiot, Jessie, always thinking the boss would actually put her and those other idiots on an actual assignment."

"Cassidy, you know the boss would always send them to take down big organizations in recent years," the man named Butch said.

"Shut it, Boff," Cassidy screeched at him. She seemed to walk over to another nearby door, wrenching it open and dragging out what looked like a whole custodian cart. "Here, you get to clean the hallways.  _Then_  you can go on the operation. I doubt Giovanni will have any use for simple grunts like yourselves. Hmph."

"Cassidy," Butch sighed out under his breath as Raticate clicked its jaws. "You know if any of the Pillars find out we're taking-"

"Who cares? ! Now, clean this hallway. I expect it to be spotless when we return from the operation!" Cassidy yelled one more time, before turning on her heels and storming down the hallway. Butch followed after her, looking alarmed by her behavior, but he took the chance to throw a glare back at the pair of them, reinforcing the order. Serena just grabbed the mop and smiled, going to place it on the ground until they had rounded the hallway corner, and were gone.

"Those two are unbelievable…" Dawn sighed out with annoyance. Serena looked at her friend, wondering if it would garner more explanation. "Pretty sure they were like rivals to Jessie and James, but none of us cared enough to find out. I'm surprised you never met them."

"Probably because Jessie and James were already far above them or something," Serena said. Dawn shrugged, clearly not having the answer. She did grab a mop, though, and began to clean the floor. It looked more like she just had something on her mind. Serena watched her, hand on her own mop while she waited for the bluenette to respond further. Piplup popped his head out of the uniform, breathing for air.

"Weird, though, huh? Another 'operation'? And besides, has anyone even  _seen_  that trio?" Dawn asked. No one else was in the hallway, thankfully, so Serena leaned further on her mop, contemplating the issue.

"Not since the wedding," she pointed out. Dawn's eyes lit up, as though she'd made the greatest point in the world, though Serena didn't quite know what that is. Nor did she share, leaving Serena to work through her brain to figure it all out on her own. Had the rather interesting trio been working for Team Rocket that whole time since? Or were they on some other detail? Serena was never sure with them, and Lionel, bless his soul, had always been rather coy when it came to details about them. It was possible they were doing something for ARC undercover, or they had reverted to their criminal ways and been doing a top-secret mission for Team Rocket.

It made Serena wonder all the more what they might have known about this whole situation, if anything at all. Suddenly, Dawn stopped her mopping, staring at the device with a slight sense of revulsion. Once she'd stopped, she lifted it up and plunged it back in the pail.

"Why are we doing cleaning work for Team Rocket? !" she shouted out. Serena looked around in alarm, but found that no one was there, so she followed suit in her friend's actions and pushed the cart back to the door that Cassidy had gotten it from. Once that was secure, leaving no real evidence of their presence in the hallway (unless one counted the mop marks), the duo proceeded further along to the door they had seen the woman entering earlier, pulling to a stop outside. Dawn leaned in first, staring through the glass pane in the door. "Yep, definitely there…looks like she's talking."

"To who?" Serena asked, before realizing she should just take a look herself. She peeked her head around, staring into what seemed to be a medic bay, as suggested from the grunt talk. Sure enough, the woman was there, sitting on an examination table, while the doctor sat in a different chair, speaking to her while tucking some mint green hair behind her ears. Serena pressed her ear against the window, hoping she wouldn't be seen, but wanting to hear more.

"…more careful, Deirdre," the doctor was speaking. "This kind of recklessness can cost it all, you know that."

"I'm well aware, Louise," was Deirdre's reply. Serena frowned, looking to Dawn, who shrugged. She knew even less about the auburn-haired woman than Serena did. "My limit's only gotten better in recent years, as has your own technological advancements in the field. Besides, it won't be long, anyway."

"I'm just concerned," Louise commented, tapping her glasses down and staring at the floor. There was silence, and Serena wondered if the whole conversation was finished until the doctor stood, hitting a light in the room. Deirdre moved at the light's movement, coming to stand. "Just keep yourself in mind. Your trip to Nova Town was foolish."

"I know. Alastair already saw fit to chastise me, I promise. I'll  _try_  to keep things calm until it's time to move on the next mission," Deirdre finally said to the doctor. Louise nodded, a small smile gracing her face. Deirdre then made to move right towards the door for the exit. Dawn all too quickly pulled Serena away from the door and made to act like they were walking away, heads down as the door hissed open. "I'll need to see Doctor Zager about the meteonite. He's arrived, yes?"

"I believe Alastair told me he had just met with Giovanni and his secretary," Louise answered. Keeping her head down, Serena turned her ear towards the medical room. The doctor sounded so kindly, almost like a young grandmother, but it said barely anything to Serena about what she was really like. There was a hidden side that Serena just knew had to be concealed behind quite a few of these "Pillars". Like a veneer that covered up everything about their true personalities, be it in battle or not. Then there was the tone, and the way that woman's name was spoken: like a deep sadness that seeped into the bones. "Just…take care Deirdre. A little longer, I promise. We'll get there soon."

"Hah," Deirdre laughed out. "I'm made of sterner stuff than that. Just get ready for the next mission. Seems it might be happening sooner than we think, Louise."

"Should I call Tolbert?" Louise's voice had changed, sounding interested and amused, rather than concerned. Deirdre stopped at the edge of the room and looked back to her comrade, waving her hand with a smile.

"No need. I believe Alastair said he'd speak to him when he returned," was the woman's definitive response. "Be well, Louise." That was definitely the end of the conversation, because Deirdre now officially left the room, and Serena held her breath. However, the woman never once came in their direction, her feet gliding silently down the length of the hallway in the opposite direction.

"What now, do you think?" Dawn whispered to the Performer. It sounded louder than expected in the empty hall, and Serena couldn't answer right away, watching after the woman. She seemed so perfect and elegant in her strides that it was hard to believe she had need to ever visit the doctor. The only thing she could have guessed at was that her work for Team Rocket had led to her sustaining past wounds that were acting up. Not that watching her there had provided any real answers or insights into Team Rocket's intentions. "Serena?"

"We'll keep following her," Serena said sharply. Dawn said nothing, but clearly agreed with the course of action as they turned to face the retreating woman. "Maybe this meteonite might be the key to whatever Team Rocket is planning."

"Good call. Let's do this," Dawn said. The two clasped hands and then proceeded as quickly as they could down the hallway without making too much noise. At least Butch and Cassidy hadn't returned to complicate matters for all of them, in any case.

This time, Serena kept her distance from the woman a little more on purpose, being very careful to not get caught. Considering that the Pillar wasn't heading back for the stairwell, the honey blonde had to wonder just where Deirdre was heading this time. Mostly, she had to wonder if it had anything to do with Ash, and if not that, then perhaps it would shed light on the vague plans that Team Rocket was enacting, or at least some clues on that part. At the same time, all of Serena's thoughts were turned towards Deirdre.

The woman's self-assuredness was almost alluring, in a strange way; like a charismatic figure that others gravitated towards, and though she spoke little, her actions spoke volumes. She was strong and capable, yet she had her follies. She didn't like making others concerned, but she seemed to be reckless. It was like a bizarre contradiction. Upon closer and more peaceful observation, it was just like her hair, akin to a dying flame with spitting embers: auburn yet flecked with gray. Perhaps that was what made Serena the most wary of her, even as she turned a corner, her gray eyes flashing in their direction but paying little attention. Then, she was gone and Serena picked up her pace a little.

It wasn't enough, because by the time she had managed to round the corner, herself, Deirdre had already stepped on an elevator and was riding it up. That made the honey blonde grimace as she approached the device, noting the floor number on it as being the top floor itself. Dawn finally caught up with her and saw the number for herself, having remembered to shove Piplup back down. Serena breathed in, trying to think about how to get around this, and whether there was a way upwards.

"Please don't tell me we're stuck after coming this far," Dawn groaned out, though her head swiveling around said that she wasn't giving up either. Serena tapped her foot, glancing around the corridor they were in until she saw the end of the hallway, where a larger door was, someone wheeling a large cart, full of some kind of material that was covered up, in through the door.

"Service elevator," Serena pointed out, holding her finger aloft to the end of the hallway. Dawn quirked her eyebrows again, seeming to find the idea rather interesting. Of course, the only reason Serena had guessed at it being a possible idea was because of the Aether Foundation's design. "Even the top floor needs to move stuff down."

"Makes sense to me," Dawn mumbled out, pulling her cap down a little more as some other members of Team Rocket were now entering into the hallway. Once they had passed through it, the young women looked to each other. There was nothing else for it. The two broke into a light run, feet continuing to squeak along the ground. "This uniform is really hot."

"It's itchy, too," Serena laughed out, trying to give themselves some levity to the situation in hopes they wouldn't be caught. "How did they stand it all those years?"

"Those three always were unique…probably had custom made outfits, too," Dawn admitted. It was the best Serena could figure as they reached the end of the hallway and the site of the service elevator. The operative from before had dropped his cart in there, and Serena could see him going down the hallway to get another. They took their chance, sliding into the space and closing the door. Once they had, Dawn lunged for what looked like a sleek control panel. She took a moment to look it over, and then pressed a silvery arrow. "Up we go?"

"If you say so," Serena admitted with a shrug. The elevator shuddered, the cart on the rack shaking quite a bit as it did so. This certainly wasn't a smooth ride in any way, but neither woman was one to complain. Both women reached up to remove their hats for a second, allowing the coolness to flow back on to their heads for just a second while they kept an eye on the number that was going up, nearly reaching to that top floor. Once it was close, they put their hats back and waited. The service elevator dinged, and the doors slid open…to the sight of a man in a black suit, with brown hair and a menacing aura of authority.

"Ah, is this the apparatus Doctor Zager mentioned, then?" the man asked upon seeing them. Serena gulped, looking down at the man's feet, a Persian traveling back and forth between his legs, purring as he went. Her gaze now slowly traveled upwards to the man's sharp, soulless, black eyes. He was staring at them with an air of impatience.

"Y-yes, sir," Dawn responded first, snapping a salute to him. Serena likewise followed within a matter of seconds. A door opened only a short distance away, and the man turned his head. That gave Serena the very brief chance to look at the space of the top floor, smaller than the rest of the base. It seemed to only contain three very distinct rooms: a large office, some sleeping quarters, and the bigger room that was likely the lab Deirdre had been heading to.

"Excellent. Then Doctor Zager is ready to move us forward with the next phase of the operation. Matori, I'd assume everything is in order from your surveying. It appeared to take a little more time than expected for your return from the mission sites. Nothing's amiss, is it?" Serena made sure to not appear startled or shocked, though she quickly figured out just who the man in front of her was: Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. She could certainly see  _why_  he was the leader. His very palpable aura of leadership and ruthlessness was almost leaving her rooted to the spot, not wanting to make a move. He was also being approached by a woman, having come straight from what Serena guessed was his office.

"No, everything is fine, as scheduled, sir. At least, as much as it can be," his assistant said. Giovanni gave a small smile, looking more like a smirk, and Serena felt chills running down her spine. The woman was now fully visible, clutching a clipboard to herself, as she adjusted the glasses on her face. As she did so, her bob cut shook, light reflecting off of her purple hair. "I've taken the liberty to begin instructing the field agents to prepare for the next operation, Master Giovanni. And given my surveying of some of the sites of the previous operations, as requested, it would seem that everything is going as you planned."

"Except for a single hitch, yes?" Giovanni asked, putting his hands behind his back as he watched his secretary. She let out a small sigh, shifting the clipboard in her arms.

"Minor, but Deirdre, Louise and Zager all seem to agree that it's something necessary, especially since Zager began to finish his experiments back here," Matori responded. "I've put our very best operatives when it comes to finding Ash Ketchum on the job. Butch and Cassidy were incensed, but I've assigned them to be guards on the next operation. That made them happy enough."

"I'm sure it did," Giovanni spoke, sounding almost amused by it. He seemed to be ignoring the two women in the elevator at the moment, and it revealed quite a bit of his true colors. Serena's initial impressions were absolutely correct: this was a man who cared little about anything but himself and his own aspirations, twisted though they were. "Those two are easy to please. Make it seem like they're in a higher position than that bumbling trio and we can move them anywhere. Speaking of, have those three reported in on his potential location?"

"Regrettably not," Matori sighed. She seemed to flick through some papers with a rather annoyed expression, her eyes occasionally flicking back towards the two disguised women, but saying nothing. Finally, she stopped on a sheet. "No, their last report was over a few weeks ago when we first deployed them. If you remember, we gave them full autonomy."

"Yes, well, we gave Tolbert the full authority to do what he needed in eliminating ARC, on suggestion, and he let the target slip through our fingers…With no sighting since, either…Hmm…perhaps I'll need a stern word with the Four Pillars," Giovanni mused, a wicked smirk on his face. Serena's hands gripped tighter to the cart that they seemed to be escorting in that moment. They really  _were_  after Ash, but she couldn't discern whether her husband was truly alive  _or_  for what purpose Team Rocket wanted him.

"I'm afraid that may have to wait, sir," Matori stated calmly. Giovanni looked to her, glaring at the somewhat mousy secretary. She bowed her head in apology, stating nothing about the topic at hand. Instead, she changed tacks to something else entirely. "The operatives are about to be moving to the final location, and once Doctor Zager has finished his research on the meteonite, we can finally utilize it."

"Hmm…since we were prevented from using it back in Unova, I'd always figured we'd have another chance for a good use out of it," Giovanni stated. His face became sharper as he said this, like it was turning cruel and calculated. Serena just kept watching him, while Dawn shivered a bit. Giovanni was certainly ruthless and uncaring. "I'll have Butch and Cassidy remove it to the main transport. Zager and Louise have both said it's almost time, I believe. After that, they can go their own way."

"And the troops? Would you want to spare a few words for them, sir?" Matori now turned away, towards the elevator that Deirdre had likely traveled up through before. Said woman was nowhere in sight, but Serena was all too thankful for that when Giovanni began to walk away. Dealing with so many perceptive individuals was a problem.

"I suppose. An increase in work ethic should help with the final phase of the plan. Then they're just disposable, like Domino. One of my best operatives, but to be caught so off-guard by a child makes her useless to me, in the end. No wonder she didn't get away," Giovanni spat. His hands were no longer behind his back, and he was beginning to walk away. "In the meantime, I want Alastair to secure the meteonite upon delivery to the main transport, and I'll need to speak to Deirdre. She should be able to keep Tolbert in line, and I have no need of an operative who can't keep things in check. Have we heard from Pierce yet?"

"Not as yet," replied Matori, her fingers hesitantly twitching on her clipboard a moment. "I'll look into it and inform you of his status. Also, I'll let Deirdre know you wish to see her as soon as her business with Zager is complete."

"Excellent. Now, time for the new world of Team Rocket." Giovanni's final statement was followed by a slow and menacing chuckle. Persian remained sitting there on the floor, staring up at Serena and Dawn for a moment before slinking back off towards Giovanni. Serena craned her neck in time to see Giovanni look back at the two of them. Both Serena and Dawn saluted while the man kept a wary eye on them. Matori was utterly unobserving, waiting for the elevator to arrive. They waited, watching him with his discerning eye, until Giovanni and his companions disappeared into the elevator.

"Oh, that was close…way too close…" Dawn breathed out. Serena couldn't find the words to agree, acting on an instinct of pushing the cart out of the service elevator. Once they had, and the door had sealed itself shut once again, she tried to find her voice, though Dawn obviously had her beat. "I never thought we'd meet the big boss."

"Lup lup lup!" Piplup agreed, popping out to take yet another breath. Serena looked back towards the elevator and the office that was clearly Giovanni's. She briefly considered finding a way inside, wondering if there was some special kind of documentation there to help her in her own personal quest. Serena quickly decided against it though; Giovanni had seemed shrewd enough that he'd be onto her in seconds. Any man so willing to toss his operatives aside was  _not_  someone that she wanted on her trail.

"So, they  _do_  need Ash for something, but we still don't know what," Serena said, feeling she was able to talk at normal volume in the emptiness of the hallway. Dawn looked to her, watching her for a moment. In a second, she placed a hand on Serena's shoulder with reassurance.

"Whatever it is, we'll be fine. No need to worry, okay? And maybe it has to do with that meteonite they were talking about," Dawn told her. She nodded, finding it logical. Giovanni had certainly mentioned it being a key crux of the plan for whatever they would be doing at their next destination. That was enough to find it and figure out what it had to do with everything. Recognizing that the cart in her hands was her ticket in, Serena wheeled it around and, with Dawn at her side, pushed it straight for where she supposed the lab was. It didn't take all that long to reach the doors there.

As soon as they approached, said doors opened wide, revealing a large lab space. Serena glanced one more time around the hallway, making note of its labyrinthine paths, just in case, and then she and Dawn completed the journey inward. Like the brief shot of the lab on the airship, the one up here seemed relatively the same, only equipped all the more with high level technology. From test tubes that appeared to be empty to all manner of monitors and computers that dotted the entire area, it looked like a scientist's dream. Had it not been used for such evil purposes, Serena was certain that Clemont would have loved to be in such a space.

_Although…a lot of these look familiar…_ Serena noted to herself as she pushed the cart into the room. Some voices were heard from a smaller room, further into the lab, but Serena allowed herself the brief respite of examining the current space that they were actually in. Diagrams littered the walls and smaller things were also strewn about the place. There were prototypes and designs of all the various inventions that Zager supposedly had a hand in. Or that was what it would have looked like if Serena didn't know the truth.

She stepped away from the cart in order to move over to a diagram on the wall. That one wasn't quite as clear to her, looking something like a crane, but she was almost certain that its design was merely a modified version of the crane that Clemont had used during the crisis in Alola. Raking her eyes along she could see other things. Scale models of what looked like the Aether Turbo, a composition of a fake Z-Ring or Z-Crystals, some different types of mined ore, and various drone designs. Among the sketches was also a representation of something that looked to be a project meant to mimic synchronicity, like with the Bond Phenomenon, if not quite in the same form as that connection, making Serena discount its help in locating her husband, given that it appeared to be for organic and non-organic elements, both, much like the Z-Ring sketch. Scanning along, there was even what seemed to be an unworkable version of Clembot. Although that, to Serena, was something she was grateful for.

Zager, if he ever claimed to be something else, was merely a hack.

Dawn was moving her own way, now, looking for a computer in the room that she could access. It brought her out of view when it came to the inner room of the lab, though Serena wasn't quite so lucky. At that moment, Zager looked up, catching sight of the cart and barked to her. "In here! I'm glad you've brought the transportation apparatus. Are you here to escort it?"

"No, sir," Serena replied as swiftly as she could. She scrambled back to grabbing the cart and pushed it along. Only now that she was giving it to Zager did she finally take in the specific details of the caddying device. It was completely covered up by a white cloth, splashed with the red R, with something rattling underneath that cloth. She had no idea what it could be, or rather, how it looked, just from Zager's words alone. She pushed onward, however, while avoiding any chance of a look at Dawn. She didn't want to give that away. "Butch and Cassidy will arrive to transport the meteonite to Alastair, sir."

"All right, then," Zager said. He paid attention to her only long enough for the cart to roll into the area and come to a stop. There was a brief moment where Zager looked at it, and then ripped off the white sheet to reveal what was underneath. Serena looked down to see a small box, made with some sort of material, only having a glass covering. Of course, she had to assume it wasn't something so simple. Zager looked away, towards something bright and shining in the room, while Serena turned away to look back. Dawn was still out of sight, and Serena didn't know if she'd found anything or had even gotten into the system. The honey blonde looked back towards the doctor, only to find herself face to face with the woman she had been chasing after all this time.

"My, you have very pretty eyes," Deirdre said, a small upturn of her lips present, as she stared into Serena's eyes with her dull grays. "A wonderful shade of blue."

"Th-thank you, sir…?" Serena blurted out before she could help herself. She was caught so off guard by Deirdre's stealthy movements, that she was even forced to take a step back from it all. Her heartbeats ratcheted up as Deirdre pulled back, still smiling gently. Yet Serena kept herself on guard; the smile was completely empty, just as before, with more agenda hidden behind it than, perhaps, even Giovanni. There was a tense moment while Deirdre continued to look at her, and then the woman turned around, back towards the glowing shape that was suspended in midair.

"The meteonite…" Serena breathed out, though her observation was thankfully not heard by anyone else in that moment. Rather, she took the chance to observe the object that was floating in that space. At first glance, it would have appeared to be nothing more than a small shimmering rock in five different hues, but Serena had had more than her fair share of experiences with simple "rocks", and from the hairs standing up on the back of her neck, she could already tell this was no simple one. It felt like it had power, but had simply lain dormant all this time until now. She took a step back, letting Dawn come into view for herself, having seemed to gain access to the computer and scrolling through the multitude of files there.

"It reacted, just as predicted," Zager was now informing the auburn-haired woman, and Serena tried to keep her ear open to listen. "When Pierce touched a shard of the Alpha to the other meteorites, I believe it began to resonate back here. It even seemed to grow larger, resembling these tales of old."

"Yes…" Deirdre noted, leaning in. She raised a hand upwards, but stopped just shy of actually touching the meteonite. "I would begin to presume that this phenomenon happened with everything. Alastair saw to it in Nova Town, while our efforts in Unova and Azalea Town paid off, even if we lost the shard at that last one."

"Hmm…I just don't quite understand the need for so much death. Team Rocket's goal has never been to kill so many people, as you're well aware. Giovanni is usually more capable than that," Zager pointed out to the woman. She shrugged, as if it was far beyond her comprehension, though Serena somehow doubted that.

"It's irrelevant. Besides, the less people, the less opposition," she commented. Her lips had turned upwards again, keeping themselves in that same smirk from before. It frightened Serena, even if Zager couldn't see it with the blossoming light. "Just a little more to go now…"

"Yes, the final operation is to begin soon. Team Rocket's new world is nigh," Zager proclaimed, his face taking on a rather sinister expression. Neither of the operatives seemed to quite notice that Serena yet remained there, looking at the object. The meteonite. Or rather, the Alpha, as the doctor had seemed to call it in Veilstone. The whole small object pulsed with light in an undulating circle of five colors: red, orange, purple, yellow and indigo. They seemed pretty, almost like one of Ash's signature Z-Moves, yet now that she was looking at it longer, it almost seemed sleepy. Almost like it was copying something elsewhere. Perhaps her theory on how it had lain dormant all this time and was now awakening to that power wasn't all that far off.

That was what scared her the most.

Breathing in, Serena stepped back while Zager approached the cart and the apparatus inside. She didn't want any more part in this, and she turned to Dawn, who was still at the computer. Piplup was out now, but silent, watching with her on the screen. She approached silently while the sound of Doctor Zager fixing the meteonite away echoed plainly in the room. When Serena had sidled back to Dawn's side, she looked at the screen as well. "Anything?"

"Not unless you count a ton of stolen designs," Dawn said from the corner of her mouth as she spoke. It was quiet enough that it couldn't be heard over the sound of anything else except for the one standing right next to her. "Pretty sure there're lots of things from Clemont, and even Conway. Very few original designs."

"So, Team Rocket is a bunch of copycats?" was Serena's query. Dawn didn't answer, but that all certainly looked to be the case in that moment.

"Even if they are, though, they put a lot of time into planning this with research on the meteonite and a whole bunch of other stuff. There's still nothing in here about their plan, so they must have decided to keep all of that secret until the end or something," Dawn continued to say. She scrolled through more of the files that were on the computer, eventually clicking on one of them. A diagram popped up, looking to be one of the meteonite, itself. It was only a quick look at the rock on the screen, depicted as more of a set, or broken off of something larger, but neither woman was willing to waste time reading the text in their situation. Serena leaned back, taking a look at Zager placing the object into the case. There was still something off, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

The doors slid open to the lab, and Dawn hastily clicked on the computer to close the screen out, though she had no time to hide Piplup, who squashed himself against his trainer's back as they waited. Much to their unfortunate chagrin, however, the newcomers were now way too familiar for comfort, and Serena tipped her head down to try and avoid being seen.

"Hey, Doctor Zager, the boss sent us to collect the meteonite for the plan. Is it ready?" Butch called out as he and Cassidy entered the room, looking ever-smug and self-assured of themselves. From the sound of a scrolling chair, the doctor had wheeled himself out.

"Yes. Just some final touches to ensure that our months and years of hard work don't go to waste from some screw-up."

"Hah, we're not Jessie," Cassidy cackled out. Serena felt her lip twitching, disliking hearing her rival being spoken about in that way, regardless of whether they had been enemies or not. Even Dawn didn't seem to like hearing that, fist clenching in her glove. "We'll make sure it gets to Alastair on the boss' orders. Oh, and we were also sent to inform you that he wants to speak with you, Deirdre, sir."

"Oh my. I have to wonder if he's angry," Deirdre said with a light laugh. She truly didn't sound worried at all. Serena pushed herself back with Dawn, trying to make themselves as small and invisible as possible. "Did he say how long he'd be willing to wait?"

"I doubt he'll wait for long, and he seemed pretty serious from what his secretary told us," Butch said. He had stepped into the inner lab, grabbing ahold of what they were looking to transport, which seemed rather heavy, making a loud noise as it was placed back on the cart. Deirdre appeared to chuckle.

"Well, that's interesting. Must be  _serious_." She didn't elaborate, and Serena certainly hoped she wouldn't, all so Cassidy and Butch would get out of their hair sooner than later. It seemed to work, because Butch was soon rolling the cart around, containing the meteonite, as they made to leave the lab. Cassidy trailed behind him lazily, not wanting to put in any amount of menial work, just like her rival. Serena exhaled quietly as the lab doors slid open, letting the cart exit. Just before Cassidy did, she turned to salute the doctor and stopped. The women froze.

"Wait…didn't I leave you grunts mopping the floors? ! What do you peons think you're doing up here? !" she shouted. It was a rather disproportionate response, Serena felt, but there was little they could do. The blonde stalked forward angrily. Neither woman dared to move as Cassidy approached them. Her little outburst attracted the attention of Zager and Deirdre both, who emerged from the smaller room to watch. Cassidy reached Dawn first, and with a look of extreme annoyance, flicked her cap off.

It was like watching a disaster in motion. The hat flipped through the air, landing right upon Piplup, who chirped loudly. If that hadn't been bad enough, Dawn's hair fell in tresses around her face, making it quite clear who she was to anyone who was remotely interested in the Contest circuit. Serena's eyes slid over to Dawn, as if wondering what they should do while everything happened. Deirdre quirked an eyebrow. Cassidy stepped back in recognition. Then, Dawn stepped to the side, while Piplup turned.

"Bubblebeam!" It was the only action under such short notice. Piplup leaned forward and the cascade of bubbles fired out from his beak. They slammed into Cassidy, flinging her across the room and into the wall. She hit her head, but seemed otherwise okay enough to stand. Whatever that case was, Dawn's attack had instantly set everything spiraling into motion. "Enough of these crummy outfits."

"Yeah, I guess they  _were_  stuffy," Serena remarked, as well. Like the trio of villains from the very base they were in did so well, both of the women grabbed their Team Rocket uniforms and flung them off, leaving them in their usual clothing and feeling much more comfortable. "Much better. Pancham, come on out!"

"Join in, Buneary!" Dawn called. The burst of light from their pokeballs revealed their team members, looking ready to battle in the circumstance. Cassidy finally regained her balance while Deirdre strode forward a couple steps. The tension inside of Serena ratcheted up, and even Pancham looked more than alarmed.

"Now, now, girls, no need for excess violence," the auburn-haired woman stated soothingly. It sounded almost motherly in a sense, which sickened Serena a bit. Her eyes flicked to the side, noticing Zager was looking less eager for negotiations. There was no doubt this was about to be a fight. "Just a little talk. We all can handle that, can't we, Serena?"

"If you're in the mood for answering questions," Serena told her. Deirdre's eyes sparked with a near sense of playfulness, but she said nothing. Pancham stepped forward, as did both Piplup and Buneary. This woman wasn't in the mood for actually talking, but Serena decided to try her luck. "Why are you after Ash?"

"Your husband? No reason," Deirdre answered, tilting her head to the side. "Though if I were to give you an answer, I guess I'd say for the glorious new world." Serena wasn't sure how to take that, but she knew she wouldn't be getting any more answers. This "new world" schtick was becoming old very, very fast. "Now, how about you answer a question of mine. I didn't have the chance before my silly tantrum in the heat of the moment, but now that you're closer to me, I'm quite curious. My son. How well did you know him?"

The question threw Serena for a loop. It meant nothing to her but complete and utter confusion, and it was in that confusion that Zager made his move. Cassidy was up and running, now dashing for the exit from the lab while the white-haired doctor reached up to grab a lever. It took only a moment of staring at Deirdre before the lights dimmed, the room flashing red. Then the loud slamming of doors throughout the base was heard and a klaxon alarm sounded out. Bright bursts of light appeared near Zager as an Amoongus and Jellicent appeared, all while Deirdre stepped back.

Serena and Dawn tensed, the former keeping her eye on the woman in the room as she seemed to raise her hand up to her ear. Deirdre's eyes rapidly flicked towards the different diagrams and the door through which the meteonite had departed as she did so, adding to the tension. There was a brief, bated breath in the room, both Serena and Dawn knowing they could no longer sneak around. The whole base knew they were here and it was only a matter of time before they arrived. Serena watched Deirdre, who brought her hand down, and then smiled with her vapid smile. It was only a second more before she then made a proclamation to the room at large, one that set everything into a cascading motion of chaos. "Yes, I believe it's time for Team Rocket's final operation to begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The action's exploding now! But first, I wanted to do an infiltration scene because I'd never really done something like it before in the series. The closest was really Bonnie on DARC's ship. It revealed a lot of tidbits and brought us face to face with Giovanni, himself. Hopefully that scene worked well enough for you, since I'm so unused to writing him. He definitely (obviously) has a role to play in the coming chapters. But yes, the meteonite is coming into play. I know there was a different plan for the anime's use of it, but since those never aired and didn't affect the plot, I'm doing my own thing. Hope that's okay.
> 
> In any case, Deirdre is quite the enigmatic woman, isn't she? I hope that mystery intrigues you, even if you think you've figured her out (and I'm sure some of you have). There are other mysteries, of course, and I'm trying my best to make them interesting but non-confusing. Not sure how well I'm doing, though. But for now, the battle at the Team Rocket has begun. Will Dawn and Serena make it out alive? You'll have to wait and see.
> 
> Full steam ahead next time with some very exciting battle moments! Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	11. An Alarm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't like telling my readers what to think. However, everyone…please stop thinking Ash needs to be a part of this story right now, or that Serena needs to tell him that which may or may not be true. I think they have bigger fish to fry, don't you? That said, please do enjoy Chapter 11!

Chapter 11

An Alarm

"Pancham, Stone Edge!" Serena called out, throwing her hand to the side. Pancham instantly sprang into action, flipping into a handstand. The second his paw touched down, stones raced out for the giant fungus and jellyfish. Neither moved from their position while Dawn also took her own initiative.

"Bubblebeam, Piplup!" Piplup now jumped to the floor to join his partners, puffing his chest out before sending a cascade of bubbles forward. They impacted with the stones, breaking them into jagged edges that flew forward and peppered the lab. Amoongus seemed to puff its body up, absorbing the blow of the flying stones. In the midst of that attack and the sound of the alarm, Dawn could hear Zager calling out.

"Cassidy, Biff, get that meteonite to Alastair, now! And tell Giovanni it's time to move on the operation. I'll deal with the rats," Zager yelled to the pair of operatives. He reached up and adjusted his monocle, the small glass glinting red in the light. They called back: one in affirmation and the other in indignation, but they were soon gone through the open door. "Deirdre, call the remaining Four Pillars to this location to deal with the problem. Get them moving."

"Already done, Doctor," the woman stated. She seemed to be slinking back, not making a move to attack at all. Dawn kept transferring her attention between the two opponents, wondering when Deirdre would spring into action, and she could see Serena doing the same as herself. However, the auburn-haired woman seemed to hang back in the shadows of the pulsing red light, blending right in expertly. "Louise has already informed me she's on her way up here."

"Good, then help me keep them occupied until she does. Jellicent, Shadow Ball!" Zager ordered. The puffy Pokémon floated forward, spinning around. Large, pulsing orbs of shadows surrounded its entire figure in intervals and went flying off after only a second of delay. They flew towards both Dawn and Serena.

"Countershield, Piplup!" Dawn cried out, sending a wink to Serena. It was a little thing, the bluenette realized, but it helped her to feel like they had this battle in the bag, even as the trepidation of having been caught settled in.

"You, too, Pancham! Dark Pulse!" Both Pokémon instantly spun forward, landing on their backs and sending their attacks spiraling outward. The bubbles spewing around Piplup met with the Dark Pulse, undulating back and forth in the air while it beat away the Shadow Balls that were making contact. The papers and diagrams on the sides of the walls were ripped off the surface, fluttering to the ground as the computers were hit by the deflected Shadow Balls. It seemed a stalemate for the moment, and was the reason Dawn grabbed to Serena's arm.

"Serena, get after that meteonite!" she insisted as a harsh whisper, her eyes wide with passion. The honey blonde watched her friend for just a second and seemed to understand. Ash or no, that meteonite was clearly the crux of the plan that Team Rocket was enacting, and no matter their suspicions about it, letting it fall into place was all but a good idea. It took only a second before Serena responded.

"On it!" She reached her hand out, slapping it against Dawn's, and immediately tore off for the door, Pancham running swiftly beside her. Naturally, her departure wasn't about to go unnoticed. Zager turned in the fleeing Serena's direction almost the exact second she turned off.

"Stop her with Stun Spore!" the scientist called. His voice was raised in volume, but his level of control told Dawn that the man was thinking quite clearly. Amoongus once more bounced forward, and in the dim red lighting, the bluenette could finally see its eyes: blank and emotionless. This Pokémon wasn't acting on orders, but rather a basis of control as it moved its pokeball-shaped appendages forward and sprayed out a thick yellow mist.

"Hydro Pump!" Dawn called, raising a splayed hand up into the air.

"Piiiipluuuuuup!" Piplup called in answer, sending the high-pressure blast of water for the spores. It created a barrier between the affliction and Serena, causing the honey blonde to throw a nod back to her friend before disappearing through the door, tearing off after Butch and Cassidy.

"Deirdre, get after…ugh, that woman," Zager snapped before sighing. When Dawn looked back, she could understand why: the auburn-haired woman was already missing, having disappeared in the chaos. The red lights and alarm sound continued going off around her, casting Zager in a rather menacing light, only broken by the still somewhat bright hallway that lay beyond the open door. The man, now alone with her, faced her and adjusted his monocle, his features veiled in the red light. Piplup and Buneary drew close together. "Well, then I'll have to deal with you first. Team Rocket doesn't take lightly to infiltration. Stun Spore!"

"Whirlpool!" Dawn cried out. Piplup jumped into the air, holding his flippers high as he called a large and swirling vortex of water to the fore that swirled around. It grew and grew in size, something that Zager didn't seem pleased about, if his expression was anything to go by. "Go! Buneary, Ice Beam on Amoongus!"

"Luuuup!" Piplup screeched, tossing the large whirlpool at the doctor. Already, the moisture in the air from the attack was becoming dense, drenching some of the papers before it even made contact with the doctor. All Dawn knew was one thing: the Whirlpool was stopping that Stun Spore right where it was and preventing it from making contact.

"Bun bun!" Buneary cried, hopping up, as well. Her mouth glowed with a brisk chilliness. As the whirlpool sailed through the air for Zager, Buneary fired, the cold beam causing some of the moisture to freeze into a sparkling garland.

"Jellicent, Psychic," Zager grumbled. He didn't sound pleased, but Dawn wasn't going to let him control the battle. As the whirlpool almost made contact with him, near to the point of sucking him in and washing him away, Jellicent's form glowed blue. In the midst of that hue, Dawn could also see how blank Jellicent's eyes were, as well. The whirlpool suddenly stopped rotating, caught in the grip of the Psychic. Then it was flung right back, into the path of the Ice Beam. The attack hit it, freezing the water with a crackling sound before it broke apart, completely ineffective. "Body Slam on the Buneary."

"Moongus," Amoongus said, and now Dawn could hear it for real, the almost drone-like quality. Its body was sailing forward, a slight white outline around it. It crashed through the ice chunks and slammed straight into Buneary, sending the Rabbit Pokémon flying backwards.

"No need to worry, Buneary, use Dizzy Punch!" Buneary righted herself as she landed on the floor before springing right back for her opponent. Her ears glowed a bright color and one of them shot out, slamming into Amoongus' center and flinging it upwards with strength. "Ice Beam!"

"Giga Drain!" From its placement in midair, Amoongus once more aimed its appendages down, firing out green tendrils that were pulsing. Buneary likewise fired out her blue beam of ice. The two attacks met in midair, exploding with smoke all around them. Dawn turned her head, trying to sense the location of the still open door, in case she needed to make a quick exit. Buneary skidded along the ground, looking fierce alongside Piplup.

"It would appear this mouse is skilled, though I'm not surprised. Dawn of Twinleaf Town, yes?" Zager's voice called out through the smoke. The bluenette snapped her head that way, her long tresses moving with her. Something about his cold and calculating voice disturbed her. "Oh, you didn't think we wouldn't do our research on Ash Ketchum and his little friends, did you? Giovanni always took quite the interest in him, generally, since Unova and Kalos, especially when the Four Pillars said to keep an eye on him. You weren't the highest on our list, but I know enough."

"So what? Knowing isn't everything," Dawn yelled out, the smoke finally clearing. Zager was still there, only cleaning his monocle for now. What Dawn took more of note were the Pokémon in front of him, pulsing with an orange aura. She grimaced. Ash and Clemont had mentioned the phenomenon before: Totem Pokémon. Or at least a Totem Aura that had once been developed by the Aether Foundation. It really did prove how much Team Rocket had appropriated over the years, all for their big final plan.

The battle just got a whole lot harder.

"Well, that may be true. Knowledge can still turn into power, however, and at the current stage of operations, I'm afraid we can't have you turning your own newfound knowledge into power against us," Zager stated. He breathed in, closing his eyes for a second, but Dawn wasn't about to let him get the upper hand with a clear head.

"Piplup, spin and use Hydro Pump!" she ordered. Piplup raced forward, jumping slightly above and starting to spin. His beak opened, the sound of his cry soon overtaken by the rushing water that was pouring out from it. Thanks to the spinning motion, the water was flying everywhere, slamming into the computers and only narrowly missing the doctor that was their opponent.

"Shadow Ball," Zager commanded. Jellicent was quick, making a single spin in less than a second and firing a barrage of crackling Shadow Balls for both of the Pokémon. Buneary had no problem, looking up to Dawn, who nodded. She bounded forward, the attack passing right through her as she rose high above both Amoongus and Jellicent. As the Hydro Pump continued to beat away the Shadow Balls, Buneary came slamming down upon Amoongus. Then the spray of water broke through, impacting with Jellicent and sending Piplup skidding back along the ground.

"Bubblebeam!" Both voices yelled at once. Jellicent floated back, her feelers twisting and turning the air. Her lips parted, and sent a jet of bubbles out for the opposing Pokémon. Piplup fired as well, the bubbles now clashing in midair and sending a shower of water across the space. Another attack fired out, silver in color, and it slammed into Buneary. Dawn grimaced, realizing that Amoongus had attacked under the cover of the bubbles. It wasn't done, either, charging through the watery attacks to once more Body Slam into Buneary. She flew back, slamming against the computer Dawn had used earlier. Dawn looked on in worry, but before she could call out, Buneary was right back up, shaking her head.  _Two can do that._

"No need to worry! This is just another double battle!" Dawn said, stamping her foot on the ground. Orange glow or not, she wasn't about to let some Team Rocket scientist help the organization in taking over the world. "Dual Ice Beam!"

"Buuuuuuneary!" Buneary cried, bouncing off of the broken-down computer as she spun. The chilling beam fired towards both of their opponents while Piplup mimicked her in action. Their frozen sparks merged together, colliding with Jellicent and sending the Floating Pokémon into the wall. From there, like a spider web, the frost spread throughout the lab, soon reaching the floor and covering the surface. Dawn gripped to the desk, careful to maintain her ground while Zager slipped and fell on his behind. Amoongus, too, didn't dare to move under the new conditions. It was her turn to switch the battle around.

"Get sliding! Make it hard for them to hit you!" Buneary and Piplup did just that, grabbing ahold of each other and pushing to the side. The frozen surface made it easy, even as Jellicent recovered. Amoongus still wasn't moving for fear of slipping.

"Psychic! Hit them with the ice, itself," Zager commanded. Dawn looked to him, noticing his monocle had fallen off. If anything, it allowed her to see his eyes all the clearer, and where they were looking: towards the exit. Jellicent rose, eyes glowing blue. Cracks now appeared in the ice on the wall, breaking into numerous little pieces that then fired off at the sliding partners.

"Knock it back with Dizzy Punch!" Dawn commanded. Buneary's ears glowed brightly and shot forward, beating the ice away. More than that, the chunks flew right back at their attackers, peppering both Amoongus and Jellicent with the debris. Zager was now coming to stand, and his foot was moving. One of the ice chunks bounded off of Jellicent's body, slamming into Piplup and sending him rolling backwards. He rolled along until he hit Dawn's feet, already looking exhausted. These Pokémon were far tougher than anticipated. "It's okay, Piplup. Bubblebeam."

"Piiiplupluplup!" Piplup chirped out, rolling back onto his feet and then immediately sending the bubbles flying all over the lab. Buneary slid back and forth, like a graceful dancer, in order to get out of the way.

"Giga Drain," Zager called. His foot was sliding towards the door. Now, Dawn was certain of just what he was trying to accomplish. This wasn't about defeating her…it was about stalling…and he was getting ready to flee. Amoongus' green tendrils shot outward, colliding with the Bubblebeam. However, Dawn also saw the Mushroom Pokémon sliding forward along the ice, gaining speed with its Body Slam attack as it finally went on the move.

"Buneary, freeze Amoongus! Piplup, stop that guy with Whirlpool!" Zager froze at Dawn's fiercely given commands. She glared him down as her Pokémon took action. Before Amoongus could reach Piplup, Buneary had fired, encasing the mushroom's lower half before aiming back towards Jellicent, who floated out of the way. At the same time, Piplup rose upwards with the large whirlpool. This time, they weren't going to let Jellicent get in the way. "Now, Piplup!"

"Pip!" Piplup cried out yet again. Unlike his last attempt, he didn't wait to throw the whirlpool, and nor did he throw it straight at their opponents. He just leapt straight up and sent the vortex of water crashing right into the center of the room. Dawn instantly dove for the closest thing to hold on to while the water swirled. It was like a tempest the moment it hit the floor, and Buneary and Piplup both made to join her, holding on to her skirt as the water blasted around the room. From the cries, it sounded as though Zager was being tossed around as well.

It all continued on for some time, the water splashing all over Dawn's figure, matting her hair and soaking her clothes until, finally, the water flowed out of the room and deposited them on the floor. Dawn weakly let go of the object she was holding to as she regained her bearings. There was a scrambling noise, and she quickly perked up. Now was no time to be sitting around. She flipped around on the ice that was still there, pressing her stomach flat against its surface in order to see Zager's limbs flailing as he struggled to run for the exit, snatching his monocle from the floor. Quickly, she reached up to wipe the remaining wet hair out of her eyes.

"Buneary, Bounce!" Buneary, who looked to be in better condition than Piplup, all things considered, shook her own fur of the water and began hopping forward. As soon as she was within range, she sprang upwards and forward, kicking towards Doctor Zager and nailing him in the back. Despite it not being their intention, the doctor rolled forward, into the hallway beyond. As soon as he had, a thick mist began to suddenly manifest in the room, obscuring Dawn's vision. To that, she looked right for Jellicent, who was barely keeping up belching the thick smoke out from her puffy body. Amoongus was down for the count, looking almost relaxed in its unconscious state. "Hydro Pump!"

"Piiiiplup!" Piplup screamed out, summoning what remained of his energy and channeling it into a giant stream of water that slammed Jellicent back into the wall. The orange aura faded away from her body, and the Floating Pokémon dropped to the ground. The mist began to fade away.

"Are you two all right?" Dawn called out with a gasp, sliding over to both of her Pokémon and taking them into her arms. Piplup was heaving, and Buneary didn't look much better, but they both seemed all right; a fact for which Dawn was most grateful. They nuzzled against her, and she could already feel their exhaustion. "Take a rest, Buneary. You, too, Piplup."

"Bun…" Buneary agreed as she was returned to her pokeball. Piplup just crawled to the top of Dawn's head and took a seat there, expelling a great heave of exhaustion. Knowing he was secure, and with the mist clearing rapidly to reveal the exit once more, Dawn pushed to her feet. She gripped for another pokeball at her side as she slowly approached the downed Amoongus and Jellicent. They didn't stir, and suddenly seemed calm instead of attacking on whatever orders were given. The only thing of note were the small bands around their body that she hadn't had the chance to notice before. Taking a chance, Dawn reached down and ripped the devices off, tossing them to the soaked and paper-strewn floor.

"Boy…that was harder than I thought, and he still got away," the bluenette breathed out. Already, she decided that she didn't want to give chase after Zager. He was hardly someone she wanted to tussle with, and ultimately unimportant. Although, thinking of him did draw Dawn's eyes to the point where the meteonite had once rested in the lab. That was a point that  _did_  concern her. "Guess we should find Serena, huh, Piplup? And soon…"

"Lup…" Piplup agreed, though it was clear to be through utter exhaustion. Now that Dawn was done with the heat of battle, the alarms and flashing red lights were returning to her, reminding her of just how much danger each of them were in. They were two lone people in a nest full of Ekans, waiting to strike. She knew Serena would be fine, but she wasn't about to leave her alone, especially with those "Four Pillars" on the prowl.

"Come on, Piplup, we need to go. Quilava, spotlight!" Dawn called, throwing the pokeball forth for her Fire type to emerge. As soon as he appeared, his flames spurted out, showing how battle-ready he was in Piplup's stead. Reaching down, she petted him for a minute and then turned for the exit. Quilava took the spot ahead, leading his trainer out of the room and into the hallways that Zager had escaped into.

Part of Dawn had to wonder just where Zager had gone and what he was planning, but the foremost of her thoughts were turned directly towards the meteonite that Serena was pursuing, as well as the "final operation" of Team Rocket's that Deirdre had mentioned. Not stopping her movement, Dawn quickly considered the direction that Serena might have taken and instantly deduced she would head for the service elevator that they had come up. Taking a moment to shake out the kinks in her muscles from Piplup's earlier attack, she considered the meteonite and the information on it. Something seemed off between the information presented and what was actually present. Maybe it was the arrangement of colors, or the size, or something about the material stated, or even the glow itself. Perhaps it was even the papers that were now little more than sopping trash on the floor of the lab! Either way, it was itching at Dawn's brain, especially when she was never the most science-oriented type.

There was a buzzing in her ears that added to the annoyance of being unable to figure out what was irking her about it. It was like her brain was taunting her about it and was working extra hard to figure it out. "Quil!"

Or it wasn't her brain. There was now a whistling noise, and Dawn leapt back as Quilava sent an un-commanded Flamethrower outward. It exploded with something that Dawn couldn't see, filling the corridor with smoke and causing her to cough loudly. She waved the smoke away and looked up, while the buzzing continued. This time, however, she could see what was causing it, and it  _definitely_  wasn't her brain.

"Were you the one to damage the lab?" a cold voice asked. Dawn recognized it immediately, remembering it as the voice of the doctor that had been treating Deirdre. "Did you destroy all that research?"

"Research? It was all copies!" Dawn snapped back, though she knew she hardly had a place to say so when it wasn't based off of her ideas. The smoke finally cleared, revealing Louise standing there with her cold gaze, glasses masking the eyes beneath. Surrounding her like a rotating barrier was a collection of drones. Then, there was the Beedrill, looking menacing in front of her.

"Mm, maybe," Louise commented and her eyes drew low, her glasses with her. "Though, certainly not  _all_ of them. And in any case, they are still something to be used, and I'd rather not have them destroyed…or exposed."

"Exposed?" Dawn questioned. The confession, if that was what it was, unsettled Dawn, and she stared at the mint green-haired woman. A small smirk was beginning to stretch the lips of the doctor…or engineer…or whatever she was. It made Quilava shudder, smoke curdling from his flames. "What are you talking about?"

"Mm, well, it's irrelevant. The Pillars have finally been called together," Louise spoke. A chuckle seemed to rise in her chest before emerging through her lips in raucous laughter. Dawn stepped back a bit, eyeing the service elevator that would just have to be her destination at this point. "Though, I'm not so sure 'Pillars' applies. I have to thank you, Dawn of Twinleaf Town. Your damage is unwanted, but your presence…it's  _ideal_."

"Again, hello, what are you talking about? !" Dawn demanded, growing more than annoyed with the situation. The woman's smirk was now stretching her face and Dawn could fully feel it now: intent to kill. This was no ordinary doctor or engineer. Teeth were bared, and Beedrill's wings hummed with brisk ferocity. Dawn took another step back, and she realized something.

The last of the "Pillars" wasn't even here. Deirdre was after Serena. Alastair was dealing with the meteonite, if Serena had failed to reach it. Louise was here. But the fourth, despite having been called to that very place by Deirdre…was nowhere to be seen.

That was the most frightening thing.

"Now, while I do thank you, I'm afraid I want to keep my appearances up a little longer. Please do me the service of dying. Beedrill, Twineedle."

"Quilava, Flamethrower!" Quilava's back sparked with flames again, igniting with that fury, before he opened his mouth and sent the flames rocketing for Beedrill. The Spear Pokémon leaned forward, it's arm-stingers alighting with bright light as it sailed into the effective type of move. Dawn clenched her fist again, but her eyes widened: Beedrill was  _cutting_  through the flames.

"Quilah!" Quilava cried out as the Twineedle found its mark, impaling him and driving him back. He skidded along the ground, looking wounded from just a single attack. Then, the drones stopped moving and small armaments popped out of them.

"Swift, hurry!" Dawn shouted, throwing her hand out in worry. The drones fired, like a machine gun with rapid bullets. Stars surrounded Quilava's figure and then blasted out to meet the bullets. To Dawn's relief, they stopped Louise's assault cold, the stars shattering into golden powder upon meeting each of the bullets. Still, the woman's wicked expression didn't change and her eyes widened with pleasure and glee.

"Ah, it feels like it's been too long. The last opponents I faced only lasted a few minutes. Can you last longer?" the mint-green haired woman spoke. There was definite pleasure in that moment for her, and it made Dawn worry all the more for Serena. If the other Pillar, or even Deirdre, was after her… "Beedrill, Fell Stinger."

"Smokescreen!" Dawn ordered, thinking of nothing else but getting away from this absolutely crazy woman. Quilava's fire went out, and then smoke began to belch from his back, obscuring Dawn and her Fire type entirely. "Run."

"Lava," Quilava agreed, and the two turned, running right for the service elevator as swiftly as they could. Piplup clung desperately to Dawn's head as they did so. There was a loud thwacking noise of Beedrill hitting the surface of the floor, but nothing else for a moment…until green streaks were aiming right for her. Seeing them in her periphery vision, Dawn dropped to the ground and rolled away as the Pin Missile struck. Quilava leapt over her as the attack slammed into the Service Elevator. Dawn looked up, seeing the door to it was now broken inwards, completely inoperable. She was trapped.

"Flame Wheel!" she shouted from her place on the ground. If there was no escape, then fighting back was about to become the only course she could take. Quilava rolled up into a ball, sparking with flames all around him, before shooting into the smoke for Beedrill. There was a loud noise, and then a small explosion ripped through the hallway, pushing Dawn backwards. The smoke all cleared to show Beedrill flying back a bit, but having no issue in righting itself. "Now, Flamethrower and Swift!"

"Quil!" Quilava called out. He opened his mouth one more time and sent the golden stars out before following it with a Flamethrower. The attacks combined, swirling together and making the stars burn a fiery red. They split off in three directions, two of the streams slamming into the drones and sending them down the hallways, curdling with smoke and fire. The other struck Beedrill, whose needles glowed brightly again and then slashed to cut away the flames. Dawn frowned. Everything she was trying was getting her nowhere, and Louise was coming closer.

"There has to be some way…" Dawn muttered to herself, watching Louise's feet move, and then suddenly stop. It was a chance, one that Dawn chose to take the advantage of. "Flame Wheel again!"

Quilava once more began to spin with the flames surrounding him and he went wheeling along the hall, straight for Beedrill. Louise spoke. "Below? Toll, I didn't know you'd be starting there. Shame on you. Is the meteonite secure? The rest of Team Rocket? Oh…well, that's good. I'll join you in a moment. Just have a pest to eliminate."

"Bzzzz!" Beedrill cried, its noise growing loud and shrill in Dawn's ears. Piplup slapped his flippers onto his head while Dawn clenched her jaw. Then there was a loud noise, like energy flowing, and Dawn forced herself to look upwards, seeing that Beedrill was transforming…Mega Evolving. Not to mention that its bottommost stingers were glowing with a dark energy.

"I think I'll just do two things at once. As long as Deirdre is okay with it," Louise spoke. Quilava slammed into Beedrill, but soon spun out to a complete halt. Then the Spear Pokémon's eyes flashed, and the Hyper Beam fired, right through him, to Dawn and the floor beneath them.

The bluenette's eyes widened, fear becoming present in them as the attack consumed her. She opened her mouth, but the pain was so surprisingly intense, that not a single scream emerged. Like hot stingers plunging all over her skin, her body began to shake, and she barely had the presence of mind to call Quilava back before he was too damaged. Dawn was surprised her grip on her pokeball didn't slacken as the attack burned through her body, rips appearing in her shirt and skirt. Soon, the floor sagged, and then gave way from beneath her. The Hyper Beam seemed to almost increase in intensity, and the floor completely broke through. After a brief second, Dawn found herself falling.

It wasn't just a single floor, either. The Hyper Beam carried such destructive force with it, that it pierced through multiple floors, burying deep within them and sending Dawn collapsing down. Some operatives on the lower floors appeared to look at her falling, wondering what was happening, even as the Hyper Beam's destructive force finally seemed to come to its end. That only presented her with yet another problem: she was hurtling right for the ground at a fast speed.

"T-Togekiss, spot…help me out, please!" Her voice panicked, scrabbling for her pokeball while Piplup slid down, grabbing the end of her hair as it flew around her entire body. She finally managed to find the right one and she lobbed it upwards. It exploded with light and Togekiss spun gracefully in the air before shooting right back for her, getting under her back. Dawn hit the soft surface of her Pokémon. They both began to drop, though at far less of a velocity than before.

It wasn't long, and soon, they slammed upon the lowest level they could reach, with Dawn and Piplup rolling off of Togekiss and slamming into a set of wooden crates that then collapsed upon her. Dawn coughed, feeling pain erupting on every inch of her body, and exhaustion seeping into her veins. It seriously hurt, and her head was starting to swim. She felt like vomiting, but held it in as she looked up, trying to figure out where she was. It didn't take long to figure it out. Not from the men in white lab coats that were staring at her with confusion.

"Not another lab…" she groaned, making to sit up. The alarm was still going off, something she hadn't realized in the intense encounter with Louise, though this room wasn't glowing red. Looking up, she could see just how far she'd fallen, through to at least the very first floor of the base, with a great number of Rocket members surrounding her, though not all were paying attention. Some, instead, were watching a screen in the lab, flanked by various test tubes and other weapons testing areas. Clearly, it was a rather basic lab, but Dawn became interested by the voice and face coming from the screen.

"…for upon us at last is the glory of our new world, for Team Rocket!" Giovanni's voice boomed out across the base. Some of the scientists cheered. "Operatives, move out for Mount Lanakila in the Alola Region. I shall join you there shortly so we can enter our new world together."

"For the glory of Team Rocket!" all of the scientists cheered. Dawn quickly endeavored to catch her breath.  _Mount Lanakila…Have to tell everyone…Have to find…Serena…_

Dawn groaned, her body screaming as she tried to stand. Giovanni's message seemed to finally end, cutting off at the monitor, and she realized she must have caught the tail end of the man's speech. Unfortunately, it really meant that the scientists there were now turning their attention to her, and Piplup was down for the count. Even Togekiss appeared wounded from the fall, forcing Dawn to thoughtfully return her. All in all, the situation left very few options, which she reached for, her legs wobbling beneath her.

A door hissed open somewhere in the room as the scientists approached her, tossing pokeballs up and down. She turned her head, grabbing on to one of the intact crates to support herself. Striding into that lower lab was an all too familiar face in the form of Doctor Zager.  _Crap…maybe this_ is _a time to worry…_

"Are all preparations complete?" Zager's voice barked out to the scientists in the lab. "Are connections to the meteonite up and running?"

"Y-yes, sir!" answered a young scientist. "Everything is reporting as normal, with five layers having activated. We're just waiting for confirmation from Pillar Alastair."

"Very well, we'll-" Zager's voice cut off, and Dawn instantly knew what that meant. She had been seen, the doctor staring at her with a look of revulsion and confusion all at once. "How…? The Pillars were supposed to-"

Dawn wasn't sure the source of his confusion, other than her very presence there, but she knew she was certainly in some sort of pickle in that moment. The scientists were all ready to attack, and Zager had turned to her while raising another pokeball high. She, herself, reached back for Mamoswine's pokeball.

Then an explosion blasted apart the door that Doctor Zager had come through, and ripped across the room, sending Dawn and all the others flying.

* * *

Serena's footsteps were heavy and squeaky against the floor's surface as she ran across it. Pancham's footfalls were far quieter as the two chased after Butch and Cassidy, proceeding with their mad dash towards the elevator with the cart containing the meteonite. Behind her, the sounds of battle had distinctively broken out as it seemed like Dawn was attempting to flood the room. Nevertheless, Serena chose to believe in her friend's victory and ran forward, turning the corner of a hallway and getting her targets into her sights.

"Stone Edge!" she yelled, pointing right at both of their opponents. Pancham never stopped his movement for a second, flipping forward to slam his paws down on the ground. From both of them, two rows of stone shot out, glowing red in the tinged hallway. They raced along the ground, right for Cassidy and Butch, who turned to see the attacks aiming for them.

"Rata!" cried a sharp voice as their Raticate stepped in front of the duo. It seemed ready to stand its ground, even though the defensive, in and of itself, didn't last for long. The stones slammed into it and sent it flying into the air. It spiraled up.

"Super Fang!" Cassidy yelled. Butch jumped on to the cart, sliding past the doors for the service elevator and right up to the main one. He seemed to fumble for a keycard while Raticate righted itself. Its fang elongated, glowing a bright white as it shot forward for Serena and Pancham.

"Arm Thrust," Serena said with a snappy shortness. It indicated all of her seriousness to Pancham, who shifted his body as Raticate aimed right for him. Right as the Mouse Pokémon was within range, Pancham struck, thrusting his fist forward and colliding with Raticate before the Super Fang could hit. Raticate's body rippled a moment and then shot backwards, slamming right into Cassidy and sending her tumbling back. "Now, Dark Pulse!"

"Pancham cham!" Pancham called out, twirling around as he summoned the inky nexus of darkness. Then he fired, sending the beam right for the two Rocket operatives. They barely managed to scramble to their feet as the attack made contact with where they were joining up. It sent them flying, the casing containing the meteonite flying in the air as the cart was destroyed. Butch lunged for it, barely managing to grab hold of it, though it weighed him down.

"This is heavy…" he complained, dragging at his arms to pull their cargo back up. Pancham shifted his foot, raising a fist up, ready to battle. Cassidy shook her head as Raticate struggled to stand from Pancham's hit.

"Suck it up, Bot," Cassidy snapped at her partner. Had the situation called for it, Serena would have sighed; how did someone forget their own partner's name? Butch clearly shared the same sentiments, sighing loudly, but deciding to move on by grabbing a keycard of his and swiping it through the elevator. The doors slid open. "Get moving! Fourth floor hangar!"

"I got it! I got i-" Butch's groaning was cut off by Serena instantly calling for her next strike. Pancham yet again slammed his hands down to the ground, sending the stones racing outwards for the elevator. Cassidy gave a rather loud "eep" and slid inside the elevator, jamming at buttons as furiously as she could. The doors began to close to the elevator as the stones jutted up through the ground, one at a time on their path to the opponents.

Serena began running forward, aiming for the elevator at the same time as the stones curved to aim inward. Then the doors slammed shut and the stones impacted with them. A large dent appeared, causing them to open and close in short bursts, and not very widely, at that. Serena grimaced. Clearly the main elevator was no longer an option for them to take. However…

"Cham cham!" Pancham pointed out, his stubby paws indicating the service elevator that was still there. Serena smiled down to him while he grinned up at her. Holding her arm out, Pancham jumped upwards to settle on her shoulder. It reminded her of Pikachu and Ash, and she decided to channel some of their own bond in order to see this done. Adjusting her clothes a bit, Serena strode straight for the service elevator and stepped into it, grabbing the control panel from before and adjusting it for the fourth floor.

Once she'd put in the necessary commands and closed the doors, the elevator began moving downwards. Perhaps it wasn't as fast as the main elevator, but it was moving decently enough, the floors they'd passed earlier going by in a flash. In no time at all, the duo had arrived on that fourth floor and were pushing the door open. There were some Rocket operatives in the halls there, but what Serena noted most of all were the television screens that were displaying Giovanni's face on them, addressing each member at the base. Before she could listen or locate her quarry, Serena quickly pressed the buttons to send the elevator back up for Dawn, and closed the doors while stepping out.

"Agents, the time is now," Giovanni was speaking, his voice stern and unrelenting, rising over the sound of the alarm. Serena stepped forward a bit, keeping her eyes peeled to see if she could find Butch and Cassidy in the grouping of other operatives there. She even tried to see if she could find the hangar they were speaking about. However, as Giovanni continued to speak, she instead found her eyes drawn up there. "We are moving forward into our new world. Years of infiltration have borne fruit. With every region we have conquered, every threat that has toppled, we have grown stronger. And now, after many years of secrecy, we are on the cusp of succeeding in our ambitions. All for the glory of Team Rocket!"

Serena breathed in, careful to not sound too loud as she watched the now smirking man on the screen. She wasn't sure if this had been pre-recorded, or if Giovanni was genuinely speaking directly with each of his agents. All she knew was that this was their last chance to move in stopping them. The man was about to speak again, but Serena turned at that very moment and saw the duo she'd been opposing right in the middle of the hallway. They noticed her, too.

"Grunts, we have an intruder here!" Cassidy shouted. "Protect us!"

"Pan…" Pancham breathed out worriedly. He had every right to, as all of the grunts in the hallway turned to look at the pair of them, the only ones that didn't fit in the grand scheme of things. Serena moved her jaw a bit, quickly trying to figure out a way to get out of there.

"Pancham, we'll need to act quick. If you need a breather, just say so," Serena said, turning her body to the side. Streaks of light appeared, and multiple Pokémon emerged, while Serena reached for a pokeball at her side. "Now, Bulldoze!"

"Paaaaaancham!" Pancham now jumped into the air, spinning into a twirl before his fists plunged onto the floor. There was a second where nothing happened, and then the floor rippled. It was yet another moment of waiting before shuddering consumed the entire floor. The grunts began to topple upon one another, some of their Pokémon falling to the side as well, giving Serena enough time to throw her other pokeball out. Sandshrew emerged, the matured Pokémon joining at his brother's side.

"Now, Gyro Ball!" Serena shouted, throwing her arm out. Sandshrew wasted no time, instantly beginning to spin like a top that Pancham leapt on top of. It was a combination they had long since perfected, and was a large part of the reason Serena saw no need to evolve her precious Pokémon (and nor had Sandshrew shown any desire to). In that moment, it was a boon. Amidst the recovery from Pancham's shuddering attack that had ripped up some of the floor, Sandshrew sped down the hall, knocking into their foes like a constantly moving pinball. All the while, Pancham was firing out Dark Pulse after Dark Pulse to hit the remaining Pokémon. Team Rocket was a threat, but in that moment, Serena wasn't about to let them get in her way. Cassidy and Butch were directly in her sights, and she started running.

"Hey!" one of the grunts yelled, but Serena wasn't stopping as the man lifted his head off the ground to yell at her. Not wanting to apologize, she placed her palm flat on his head and pushed down as she catapulted herself to a free space on the floor, immediately beginning to pelt down the corridor, right for Butch and Cassidy. The only thing between them and her was another dozen of grunts and their Pokémon. The hangar was clearly visible at this point.

"Sandshrew!" Serena shouted out. Pancham leapt upwards, off of his partner, as Sandshrew spun out of his attack. Serena crossed her wrists, silvery light exploding from her Z-Ring. Then her fists retracted and slammed into each other, her Pokémon emulating her. Sandshrew became encapsulated with the power, flaring into a bright aura. His body began to spin rapidly and then Sandshrew shot off down the hallway like a gigantic drill. The walls and televisions screens were sliced up as he did so, with even Giovanni's voice being cut off completely. "Corkscrew Crash!"

"Shreeeeeew!" Sandshrew cried, slamming into the grunts and tossing them aside with extreme ferocity. Many hit the walls, slumping down to the floors with loud groans of pain. They weren't the only ones in the target range of the move, as Butch and Cassidy struggled to run for the hangar. They were nearly there, but just at the edge of the villainous duo's destination, the last petering of Sandshrew's Z-Move happened to catch them. He spun out, the burst of air knocking them forward, into the hangar and onto their backs. Serena kept running, Pancham jumping on to her as she continued, reaching Sandshrew in seconds and skidding to stop at the edge of the open hangar doors. Butch had dropped the meteonite, scattered on the ground, but it didn't remain abandoned for long.

"We got it here, sir," Butch groaned out, trying to push himself up. Serena tensed, both Pancham and Sandshrew there at her side, all three of them looking fierce. She said nothing; just watched as Alastair bent down and picked up the meteonite with little effort, his facial expression nearly unreadable other than a knowledgeable glint in his stoic eyes. However, as he did so, he kept one of his eyes on her before reaching up to part the hair over his left eye.

"Get to the ship with the other troops," Alastair spoke. They scrambled to their feet and the Pillar shoved the meteonite at Cassidy. "Put it in the chamber and hook it up to the device, make sure the readings are consistent."

"Y-yes, sir!" Cassidy quickly complied. The two operatives took their orders surprisingly graciously and ran forward into the hangar. Now that they were doing so, Serena could fully observe the state of the hangar, with troops upon troops of Team Rocket operatives filing onto three large airships. It was certainly a large-scale operation, though quite a few troops yet remained behind in the base. Giovanni's voice continued to speak, but Serena didn't hear the words as she stared at Alastair. Eventually, the man inclined his head, while his Aegislash floated forward.

"I suspected someone had tagged along from Veilstone, but didn't confirm it until Deirdre said so," he commented. Serena narrowed her eyes; all his actions before…perhaps he hadn't been as oblivious as she'd hoped. There was a loud humming noise from the airships nearby, and then a sudden crashing sound emanated from behind her. "You're a nuisance and a blessing, both. Aegislash, go."

Serena wasn't sure which way to turn, her attention split between so many angles that all of it was whirling around in her head with little remorse. Something was crashing through the floor behind her. The airships were preparing to depart for whatever the destination of their mission was. And Alastair's lips were turning upwards while Aegislash moved forward, blade glowing a violent blue. "Aeguh-guh-guh- _slash_!"

"Pancham, Sandshrew, return!" Serena whipped out her pokeballs, returning her two partners before Aegislash swiped downward, sword embedding into the floor. It didn't stop, though, cutting through the floor before turning upwards. It took just a few seconds, but Serena realized just what the Royal Sword Pokémon was doing: cutting away the hangar entirely. Alastair stepped forward, holding up his wrist. There was a control device there, and a keystone shining out from it, but Alastair didn't bother with that. He simply pressed a button.

"Louise, I wasn't aware you were so quick to jump to action, but if Deirdre insists, I've no problem with it," flowed out the man's voice. He kept his eye on Serena and she began to feel the hallway shudder. There was a loud creaking and groaning, and the entire corridor shifted, parting away from the hangar, separating entirely. "Good thing we planned for this kind of event."

"Who are you…?" Serena's eyes widened as she asked the question. The hangar wasn't  _quite_  separating from the hallway, but rather the hallway was shifting. Aegislash finished its action, aiming towards her with a slash that caused her to fall backwards, teetering on the edge of the hall.

Then it split away, and Serena lost her balance. Wind blasted at her figure and the whole base began to rock. For a second, she thought it was from the action of the hallway shifting, no doubt a device to prevent known intruders from finding their way around or out accurately. However, as the hallway shifted and the canyon air slammed against her body, Serena realized that the shuddering  _wasn't_  from the hallway at all; the base was exploding from below. Her toes slipped and she fell, while the rotating hallway seemed to point right over the depths of the canyon. She started to fall, but gripped to the edge of the hallway's floor as another explosion went off. Was someone else here? Was there someone else trying to take out Team Rocket? She looked out, catching a strange angle of the hangar, looking like it was floating in midair with some kind of technology. Alastair stood there at the edge, as well, smirking.

"What are you doing? What are you planning with that meteonite? !" Serena screamed at him, but he offered no answer. There was just another shaking, and some screaming. Serena's fingers lost their grip and she began to fall. Below her was nothing but rock, and some of the tops of the canyon that hadn't been populated by the base. The honey blonde yelled out as she fell, "Primarina! Aqua Jet!"

"Prima!" Her Soloist Pokémon emerged from her pokeball without hesitation, cloaking herself in water and shooting around in midair to grab ahold of Serena before shooting straight upwards, away from the treacherous ground.

"Get to that man!" Serena yelled, pointing up at Alastair. He seemed to be relaxing now, with Aegislash entering its Shield Form as he leaned on it, tucking a pokeball on his waist lazily. Primarina didn't cease her Aqua Jet, shooting right upwards. There was a whistling in Serena's ears now, growing louder as she approached, and she whipped her head around. There was a purple dragon heading right for her. "Evade!"

"Rina!" Primarina barked out, changing trajectory and aiming for the top of the canyon, far away from the purple dragon, whose jaws snapped shut and vanished. Quickly, Serena's Pokémon brought them downwards, landing them both upon the top of the canyon flawlessly. Serena looked up, the hangar now far away from her as one of the three airships was taking off. Alastair had faded from her vision at the distance. However, the honey blonde didn't muse on it, turning her head then, at the sound of clapping, to see that someone else had joined her on the cliffs.

"Deirdre…" Serena breathed out. The woman stood there, her shadow long as the sun now began to set beneath the canyon, making it all a reddish-brown in hue. The auburn-haired woman continued clapping.

"Well done. Well…done," she spoke, walking a little forward, her Altaria floating at her side. "I wasn't expecting this much of a ruckus, or for you to make it this far, but I'm glad you did. Now, can we behave like civilized women and talk?"

"Civilized?" Serena questioned, her face growing dark with concern. Deirdre nodded, that same vapid smile on her face. The Performer found her body shaking with near indignation at that kind of comment. "You attack people, hurt them, and you want us to be civilized?"

"Means to an end," Deirdre spoke. It sounded chastising, like a mother scolding her child for a lost toy. "But I really just wanted to speak to you about my son. Surely you know as well as I do about having parental issues, don't you? Your eyes are  _just_  like his…"

"Michael," Serena whispered out. She hadn't uttered the name in ages. Hadn't thought about him in ages. Yet Deirdre was bringing him up again; had he infested Team Rocket just the same as every other place, or was it different this time? "I'm not interested. Nor do I know anything about your son! I wouldn't even know who-"

"You mean you don't remember my adorably dumb Travis?" Serena felt her body lock up, breath escaping, and her ears ringing enough to block out any noise. Deirdre took another step forward, her hair floating outwards, as though it was controlled by the canyon wind itself. In the setting sun, the smirk on her face looked practically psychotic, almost like the face of the name she'd just spoken. If there was a name she'd heard less than even Michael's, it had most certainly been the one just uttered by Deirdre. "Now, do you want to talk?"

"You're…you're Travis' mother? But…I thought…Weren't you at Nova Town…or you died…or…"

"Or neither." This voice was different now, but still known. Serena had heard it not too long ago from the man providing the message on the screens. She looked up, seeing a helicopter, emblazoned with Team Rocket's logo, descending towards them. At the same time, the first transport took off, flying into the orange-red sky. Giovanni, meanwhile, dropped down, his assistant holding the helicopter's door for him. Deirdre looked up with her smirk at Matori, the other woman staring coldly back at her, while Giovanni reached the level of the canyon they were on and dusted himself. Serena shivered, the waves of ruthless killing intent radiating off of the man, drowning out all others, even those of the wicked woman that addressed him.

"Giovanni…when did you figure it out?" Deirdre asked of him. Serena felt lost, like her breath was being stolen away, but she placed a hand on Primarina. Persian stalked in front of Giovanni, considering both Altaria and Primarina like prey.

"I was always suspicious," Giovanni barked angrily, hard lines on his face. However, his eyes seemed to be smirking, as though something he long since suspected was being proven true. Serena wasn't sure what to make of any of it. "Did you really think, after all this time, that I never suspected?"

"Oh, no, I always wanted to keep you on your toes," Deirdre giggled out, her eyes alighting. Now that Serena knew, however, she could see the same look, the same stance. The same  _everything_. She really  _was_  Travis' mother. "You never let the Pillars have many missions together, but you valued us so much."

"Your information was invaluable. You, who was abandoned by the G-Men. When did that happen? After a failed mission, or when you decided to be mother to a yowling pup?" Giovanni spat at the woman. Tension was building, the air sparking with it as yet another explosion sounded down below. Serena minutely shook her head, trying to clear herself of what was rattling inside her brain.

"You should know not to threaten a mother," Deirdre spoke, her smirk becoming more of a lidded confidence. "And for the record, I was never part of the G-Men, strictly speaking. My role was more special…more… _ideal_. And for my son…who do you think gave him his scar? I certainly never cared, but I was interested in knowing how that fool died. You know, don't you, Se-re-na Ket-chum."

Serena didn't answer, little things slotting into place. Deirdre was Travis' mother, the mother no one seemed to know much about. In fact, now that she thought about it, even so many years after his death, no one seemed to know much about him or his family at all outside of Carl. No mention of his mother had been made. Just Travis. Her identity was more than certain, but Serena couldn't dwell on it any longer as Giovanni turned his head to  _her_ , now.

"So, Ketchum's wife, is it? Well, then, this makes things easier," Giovanni stated. Persian hissed loudly, and Altaria squawked. Serena just remained facing all of them, holding her breath. "I can take out two Pidgey at once: setting a trap for the last thing we need and eliminating a traitor all at once."

"If you can, Giovanni,  _sir_ ," Deirdre chuckled out. Serena continued to say nothing. She just looked to Primarina.

Wind blew through the canyon, and the helicopter rotors beat overhead. Another humming of the next transport starting up was heard. Then, yet another explosion that blasted out of the side of the base was heard, and the three combatants leapt forward.

The duel that set fate in motion had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The conflict at Team Rocket's base has really picked up here with quite the revelation. I knew right from the beginning that Deirdre would be Travis' mother, who's had very little mention over the course of the series, but given his father…well, here we are. It's also revealed she once had some involvement with the G-Men before joining Team Rocket. But really, it was all about the final confrontation between the three in the canyon now that agendas are being revealed. What's about to burst will be big, and I hope you'll enjoy it all.
> 
> I hope the pacing is good for you, and you're continuing to enjoy this. Until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	12. A Rocket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story continues to have a lot of whirling plot points. As a result…yes, most of this story has only taken place in 36 hours, which explains certain absences, really, and has allowed to give a lot of characters who wouldn't have it, the chance to shine. But Chapter 12 time!

Chapter 12

A Rocket

"Reports continue to come in regarding the events that have been transpiring across the regions," Malva's sultry overtones spoke from the small screen in Diantha's hands. The only thing that could be heard over that voice was the helicopter beating its rotors loudly as they traveled. Seated across from the Kalos Champion were Korrina and Mairin, both of whom were leaning in to listen to the news report. "Relief efforts from the Aether Foundation are continuing at Mount Chimney, helping to restore the wildlife to what it was. Meanwhile, it would seem that there is very little to be spoken about in regards to Veilstone City, though time will tell in regards to that. One can only hope, in regards to these potential incidents, that the glimmering rainbows beginning to be seen above these locations can be seen as a sign of hope in the face of natural catastrophe."

"So, they're not reporting on the deaths…" Korrina commented. Diantha pursed her lips and turned the screen off. Keeping apprised of what the media was talking about was well and good, but right now was very quickly becoming a time of action that she needed to focus on. "Not even Clemont was mentioned."

"Right now, that's for the better," Diantha commented, leaning back and propping her hand on her fist. Yet another day was drawing to a close, and the tournament had continued on, completely falling into the background of her brain. Perhaps it had showed to the now increasingly restless populace when she'd lost to Cynthia; not that she had a problem with that. There was so little of the tournament on her mind at this point. Cynthia could win the whole thing and she felt no one would really care, given what was going on and who remained.

In the middle of a crisis, a tournament was the last thing that anyone was thinking about. With ARC in shambles and high-profile names such as Ash and Clemont missing, the Champions didn't even want to waste the time taking part in the tournament to begin with, but all of them knew far too well that a panicking populace was much worse than taking a few minutes to battle it out on a grand stage. Diantha was so lost in this thought that, as Mairin leaned forward, she almost missed the red-haired woman's question. "So, no one knows that this Team Rocket is making a move?"

"I hope not," Diantha breathed. She stopped leaning and looked to both of the women sitting there. It was a subtle expression, but Korrina truly looked rather worried in that moment, tapping her foot ceaselessly. The news of Clemont's disappearance (she wanted to avoid the word "death", for obvious reasons) had hit her much harder than she was letting on. It truly made Diantha wonder how Serena, ever proactive, was taking the whole thing. No doubt they both wanted to get in on the action and fight in their significant others' stead…well, wherever Serena was. Wanting to quell all of their trepidation, Diantha addressed the issue at hand. "It's better if no one knows about all of these things. We've lived in a time of unprecedented peace up to this point, and I'd rather not shatter that."

"But…isn't that just pulling the wool over everyone's eyes?" Mairin asked, clutching her Chespin to her. He seemed asleep, nodding off in the setting sun. Diantha watched the research assistant, taking her words into consideration. "Not wanting people to know what's going on…isn't that just like Lysandre, and that Michael?"

"Not quite," Korrina said, her leg stopping its jiggling. "The difference here is that we're protecting people, and probably plan to speak about what happened after everything's taken care of. Besides, we're clearly not hiding  _everything_ the greatest."

"Definitely not," Diantha scoffed out, staring at the orange tinged ocean. They were no doubt close now. "Malva seems to be running damage control and keeping names out, but the actual  _events_  aren't a secret. Hard to hide a town nearly being blown off the map."

"Let's hope  _he_  wasn't blown off the map, either," Korrina whispered. Her hands were now gripping at her knees, nails digging into them fiercely. Diantha sighed out; she had no words for the apprehensive fiancée, hoping that if Clemont was out there somewhere, he'd show up from doing whatever he was doing quite soon.

Thankfully, a distraction arrived in the form of their destination, one they had begun heading to the second that Diantha and Korrina had been kicked out of the battle, both. Mairin pressed herself to the window, and even Diantha looked out to the large, circular base that rested on the ocean. Employing the same technology as that which kept the Aether Foundation afloat, along with numerous other security measures, the League Hub was a sight to behold for anyone seeing it for the first time…which was most besides the Champions and Elite Four members, and those that had helped design it, of course (which was really help from Gladion, Clemont, Conway and the like). Now, however, it was like a marshalling spot.

"It's bigger than I expected," Mairin commented. Behind Diantha, she could hear the radio scratching out, indicating that someone else was already on approach to the Hub. The Kalos Champion didn't pay attention to that, preferring to focus on their own descent. A landing platform was suddenly extending from the side of the exterior as the panel was detaching, one of the many security measures activating. The helicopter aimed right for it, touching down moments later in a perfect fashion. Diantha was standing before it steadied.

"Stay close to me. The Hub can be confusing," she informed her two companions. "We  _did_  design it to be a long-term fortress if needed. So, we'll want a streamlined path to the important locations, understood?"

"Got it!" Korrina complied, bouncing to her feet and pumping her fist. Hearing that, Diantha disembarked from the helicopter and onto the landing platform. The sea breeze swirled around her, and she looked up to see another helicopter on approach for the landing platform next to them. She chose to make that her first stop.

Checking to make sure that Korrina and Mairin were still keeping pace with her, she strode into the Hub, itself, a door slamming behind the three of them once they were inside the metal-lined hallway. Once immediately inside, Diantha made a sharp right to approach the other door that led to the adjacent platform. To no one's surprise, the door opened, and in strode Tau, leading a rather decent-sized group of trainers that included Paul, Sawyer and Alain. Mairin instantly reacted.

"Alain, you're okay!" Mairin called, running right for the man and encapsulating him in a hug. Paul shifted his eyes over for a second, but otherwise ignored the reuniting two. "Not that I thought you wouldn't, but you know…"

"Glad you made it safely, Tau," Diantha spoke, the leader of Alpha Squad catching up to her in seconds. He wasn't wearing any manner of jovial smile as he did so, placing his hands inside his pockets. The two older adults turned away, down a hallway that led to a large briefing room. The others followed closely, Paul, in particular. It was clear that the young man was listening to her conversation with Tau intently. "No Serena, right? I thought Dawn was in Veilstone with you, as well."

"She was…and then she and Serena had the bright idea of hopping aboard Team Rocket's airship," Tau answered. He seemed to almost be snorting with amusement at the thought of it. Diantha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If it wasn't Ash being reckless, it was his wife; though, she supposed that was what made them so effective at times. "I'll be honest, I have no idea where they've gone."

"That's all right," Diantha admitted. "You obtained information?"

"Scant," Tau confessed. He seemed tired in admitting it. "All we know is that Team Rocket is trying to do something by shedding blood in multiple regions. It's all to ignite these 'veins' around the world, but before we could get anything about how to do that or why, our source was killed. We lost the assassin, but, and I'm not sure about this, I think someone else was actually tracking them or…something. Saw a shape in the air at the time. Although I couldn't say who…if that's even the case."

"And things grow more complicated…as usual…" Diantha said with a rather labored sigh. The others all were conversing behind them, chatting about this and that, but Diantha focused on getting into the briefing room. In seconds, she had reached the doors and pushed them wide open, allowing each of them into the area.

Mairin and Korrina gasped loudly, while even Sawyer took the whole room in with awe. She couldn't blame them. Despite being an entirely interior room, the briefing room at the League Hub was massive, with a wide table enough to seat near fifty people, and decorations to make it seem very much like a home on the water. Most important to Diantha, however, were the large screens at the head of the room. That was her exact destination.

"Secure connection open. Voice command: Kalos Champion Diantha," Diantha spoke to it. The voice recognition activated perfectly, opening channels on the IRCS while keeping the line completely secure. "Find voice: Ash Ketchum, Serena Ketchum…mmm, and Gary Oak and Aidan."

"Aidan?" Tau asked. She was surprised he didn't ask about searching for the voices of people via the IRCS but, on second thought, figured that Tau knew it all too well, even if had been a recent administrative development for the Hub. The searching icon on the screen continued circling, and all of the others in the room quieted down, waiting for the screen that was splitting into four. A door opened in the room, and Diantha briefly looked to see Gladion striding in, having obviously just arrived, himself. The system stopped searching, the display reading "1 Voice Found".

"Connect," Diantha said, shaking her head. That it couldn't find Ash or Serena meant they were obviously in a place unreachable by the IRCS. Aidan, likely, didn't even care to pick up. Gary, on the other hand, was neither of those things. Nor did he seemed to be surprised at having been contacted, especially with his guest being none other than Steven. "Well, I'm glad to see you're filled in on the situation."

"As much as I've been able to," Steven admitted with a small smile in Diantha's direction. She bit back a laugh, and opted for a graceful nod instead. "Though, I still feel locked out of the loop. Even Lance hasn't been in contact."

"It would appear most of us are not in contact. It's maddening, if I'm honest," Diantha admitted to the group at large. "Gary, since Steven has filled you in, I take it you're aware of what's been going on in the world at large. From what I've been informed of, it has to do with your expertise, yes?"

"That's what seemed to happen at Veilstone," Tau admitted. Gladion had now come to stand by Diantha, his brow set into a furrow. He looked to have something on his mind, but didn't interrupt the flow of conversation to share it. Instead, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress pants and listened.

"Yeah, I've seen the reports about the weird glows," Gary admitted, leaning forward to the screen. "I'd already been trying to study the noted events in Unova, once you'd contacted me earlier before the situation worsened, but with it starting to happen worldwide, I'm thinking I'll need to go to an un-activated source, if I can."

"Gary's been in contact with Professor Burnet," Steven shared. Diantha reached up, placing her hand under her chin as she listened. "She's been doing joint research on dimensions, still with focus on the cleaved Ultra Space. Apparently, she has an idea that there may be some meteorites on Mount Lanakila."

"Why there?" Tau asked, not having any compunctions about interrupting, himself. Gary shifted in his seat, and Diantha noticed a bag right by his side; he was no doubt ready to leave at a moment's notice. Diantha was now considering it a good thing that she had taken the time to contact him first.

"Mount Lanakila is considered the closest to the Legendaries of Alola, right? Well, Burnet theorizes that, with their connection to the stars, that maybe meteorites struck down there in ages long past," Gary told them. Gladion was nodding, and it seemed to all but confirm everything being spoken as the wisest conclusion. "We just need to be on site to confirm things. Unova isn't too far from Alola, so I can be there in a couple hours, tops."

"Then we'll count on you, Gary. Steven, you plan to go with him?" The Hoenn Champion nodded, saying nothing more, and Diantha chose to leave them all to it. The connection ended, and she turned to Gladion, who stared right back at her. "You seem perturbed, Gladion."

"Just a strange report from Plumeria," Gladion admitted. He took his hands out of his pockets to bring one by his face, breathing out slowly. "Tell me, have you heard from Bonnie and the others?"

"Don't tell me…" Korrina exclaimed before anyone else had the chance to even think about it. Diantha just watched Gladion with pursed lips, and then he turned to look at Tau, searching the older man carefully.

"They separated a while ago, and Plumeria says she…found something attached to the jet that shouldn't have been there," Gladion admitted. He closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. There seemed to be some kind of conflict deeper inside him, like a concern that wouldn't stop growing, but he eventually addressed it. "Also, while Plumeria was contacting me, there was a glitch…like someone was listening in on the feed, or trying to get in contact. I don't know who it could be, but considering everything's been fine there since, I can't imagine it was anyone bad…"

"Hmmm…" Diantha mused, wracking her brain for an answer to Gladion's well-timed queries. There was no doubt that whatever had been originally listening in had tracked Bonnie's group. That they hadn't arrived at the League Hub was disturbing, though with so much else, it had escaped her attention. And then, someone listening in… "Did they notice anything else?"

"…well, they're rarely the most observant," Gladion admitted sheepishly. Paul snorted. "That said, Plumeria said she thought someone was watching them on the cleanup effort, and there was a large roar on the air, but it could easily be nothing."

"At this point, I'm fairly sure that nothing is just that…" Diantha said. Gladion didn't say any more. The Kalos Champion turned to the screens, watching them remain blank. Whatever this situation was, it had been well planned in the grand scheme of things. Their foe was no doubt gathering as much information as possible, and with so many people going missing at once…Diantha shook her head. She couldn't let that control her mindset. Someone was clearly out there, listening for information, and whether it was Aidan or someone else, it simply meant they weren't alone in the battle ahead.

That alone was a comforting thought.

* * *

Dawn's ears were ringing, her entire body crying out in pain. There was some screaming, and pounding. At least, that's what she thought it was…it was really hard to tell through all the ringing if that pounding was outside or inside her own head. She coughed loudly, her whole body jolting with the action as she did so. Pain erupted across her chest from it, and that just stirred further coughing from within her. Her eyes were shut, feeling like her lids were practically glued together. She tried to force them open, but found she couldn't.

There was heat, almost unendurable heat consuming the room, and Dawn could feel her ears returning to normal, though the pain remained. There was screaming, and a crackling noise in the background that Dawn couldn't quite place. She strained her eyes, and finally managed to open them a crack. It didn't do much, only presenting a shimmering haze through her vision, like there was an extreme source of heat in the room. She tried to move, going to place her hand on the floor to push herself up.

"Ah!" she screamed, unable to contain the sound from leaving her mouth. Pain erupted up her arm, and her hand slipped, forcing her to fall back down to the floor. The bluenette's head turned, looking at her arm and realizing it was bent at an impossible angle. Panic rose in her chest as she now attempted to sit up without the use of her hand, but found she wasn't quite able to get there yet. "Piplup…PIPLUP!"

"Lup…" Piplup groaned out, and Dawn breathed in relief. At least she didn't have to worry about him. The Penguin Pokémon seemed to be moving, and Dawn felt him pressing on her pained chest, crawling up to her face and touching her with a flipper. "Piplup pip…"

"I'm okay, Piplup…I'm just glad  _you're_  okay," Dawn breathed out. Her loyal Pokémon could obviously tell she was lying to him, but that seemed all right with how much pain she was feeling. Finally, she endeavored to sit straight up once again. The action screamed and groaned inside her bones, but with a little bit of effort, she managed to sit up straight, heaving and huffing. The first thing she did, as Piplup tumbled into her lap, was notice that a stack of crates had fallen onto her legs, a nail sticking into one of them. That pain seemed like nothing next to her broken arm.

It was certainly nothing compared to the bodies that she also saw as she looked around.

"No…" she breathed out. Her good hand (which she realized she had, thankfully) moved forward to push the heavy crate off her leg. There was a moment that she bit her lip and then reached for the nail, yanking it out quickly. "Yeeee…."

"Piplup!" Piplup cried in concern, but she shook her head to show she was okay, even as some of the blood dribbled out. She was also realizing the source of the heat in the room: there was fire almost everywhere except for directly around her. It seemed like Piplup had done a little something before she'd fully awoken. Dawn took deep breaths into her lungs despite the pain, helping her to steady herself in that moment.

When she'd finally calmed down enough, Dawn could finally take stock of the room at large, her eyes widening as she took it all in. The scientists that had been opposing her before were all strewn about the room. Some were on their backs, breathing as they struggled to move. Others were incontrovertibly fallen. Flames licked around the room in a destructive fashion, and now that she was sitting up, Dawn could feel a breeze from a hole in the wall that led to the outdoor canyon, where the sun was setting. The screens that had been monitoring the meteonite were cracked down the center, debris having cracked all of them, even if one of them appeared to still be barely functioning. Otherwise, the only thing intact seemed to be a control panel, where a very familiar figure was.

"Hey!" Dawn's voice croaked, but was hardly enough to be heard over the raging flames. Knowing she'd be too prone to things from her position, Dawn crawled over to the nearby wall and used her good hand to help herself up to a standing position. Her breath heaved and her teeth clenched, but she was able to draw closer to the console. "Hey! What's going on? What did you do?"

"What?" snapped the irritable voice of Doctor Zager. He turned to see Dawn there, a snarl on his lips and cuts all over his face. Gone was the cold veneer that said he was in control of everything. Dawn could see it all sitting there in his eyes: this was a man in panic mode. "You're still alive?"

"I'm…" Rage filled into Dawn's veins, helping her to stand taller, despite her limbs slowly growing useless from the pain. Zager was focusing on the control panel, looking up at the sole working screen as it sparked. Her lip began to twitch; did he seriously care nothing for the dead scientists around him? "You don't even care?"

"Shut up, you foolish girl," Zager said, his own rage now dominating his features. "This is a disaster you and your friend caused by coming here. I'm trying to salvage-"

"Pip-Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn managed to gasp out. It was all she could for the moment, but hearing how little Zager cared for anything but the operation enraged her. Piplup opened his beak and sent the bubbles blasting out, if not as strong as before. Zager turned towards her, and in the distance, the bluenette heard another explosion going off.

"I do not have time for your silly games. Weavile, Night Slash." Zager's command was simple as the Dark type emerged from a pokeball. The bubbles converged upon it, but it slashed with a purple claw that obliterated it. Another pokeball flashed brightly, a large Steelix emerging with a familiar glowing collar around it, while Zager dug into his pocket. Dawn's teeth grit further upon seeing the keystone he was pulling out. "I'd have thought the Pillars would take care of you above, and I didn't wish to damage the lab further. Either they failed or something else happened, but I need to salvage what is left of the Lanakila mission. Now that the lab's wellbeing is a moot point, I'd rather not deal with you for much longer. Steelix, Mega Evolve, and Iron Tail."

Dawn looked to Piplup, who was heaving, bending over with exhaustion. Bright light shined from Steelix's form, transforming into a larger, almost meaner, looking version with rings around it. Weavile just remained the same, but Dawn could tell: they had the same blank look in their eyes. It was a wonder that Zager was able to even Mega Evolve at all, but she quickly figured that its lack of personality suddenly made it a perfect receptacle for a "bond". All their different copycat research started making a little more sense. Steelix finished transforming, and its steely tail swiped outward. Dawn had no time to block, and she only shut her eyes as she turned to the side. The tail slammed against her broken arm, causing her to scream from the even more intense pain. Even moreso, her body was flung off, straight towards the wall as yet another explosion went off, this time from above.

"Piiiiiipluuuuuuup!" Piplup screamed for her, but she couldn't stop what was about to happen. She closed her eyes, reaching her good arm out for her most faithful Pokémon.

Then she hit something…only it wasn't a wall. It was a person…or four persons…? Dawn's body shook, blistering with pain.

"That was rather close," a voice chuckled out.

"That's your fault! If you weren't so sentimental up above we could have been here sooner!" snapped another, far more feminine voice (in a certain respect).

"Well, excuse me! I think it's in poor taste to leave our previous pack of partners to partake in a passel of pyrotechnics!" the other voice yelled back. It sounded so familiar to Dawn, but she'd yet to place it, the air thick with the smoke and dust of that last explosion.

"Will da two of ya quit da alliteration?! Dis ain't home anymore or nuthin', so pull it together!"

"Wobb wobba wobb wobb!" Dawn's eyes snapped open. Now, she recognized those voices all too well. Doctor Zager, on the other hand, did not.

"Who's there? Are you responsible for this catastrophe? !" the doctor yelled, and the smoke began to clear. Dawn felt herself being placed surprisingly gently upon the ground.

"Well, prepare for trouble, this isn't our fault."

"And make it double, the boss is a dolt!"

"To protect the world from poorly hatched schemes!"

"To unite all people against wicked dreams!"

"To denounce the evils of teaming with twerps!"

"To extend our reach, and not leave them in the lurch!"

"Jessie!" called the now all-too-recognizable voice of the woman that had once been Dawn's enemy.

"And James!" followed up her perennial partner. Dawn suddenly found herself smiling, even if she couldn't explain why. They had come to the base, yet instead of joining their allies, they seemed to be turning on them.

"This Team Rocket base is blowing up at the speed of light."

"But we're not with it anymore, so it's you we'll fight!"

"Dat's totally right!"

"Wobbuffet!" There was relative silence following Wobbuffet's definitive closing statement, and at long last the smoke cleared, revealing the trio of former Pokémon thieves, standing tall. Dawn couldn't believe it, even seeing the three of them there, standing tall with a whole bevy of Pokémon surrounding them. They were dressed yet still in their Team Rocket uniforms as they walked forward.

"You three?" Zager asked, and Dawn could tell that he was no longer masking any sense of surprise. Things had gone off the rails at the base, and now he was dealing with fallout while Jessie walked forward. At her side were Gourgeist, Bewear and Yanmega, while James was flanked by Inkay and Carnivine, a Crabrawler clamped to his head with his claw. "What are you doing here? You were on a mission from Giovanni, himself!"

"Oh, shut it, doctor! We don't take orders from you anymore!" Jessie snapped. Dawn attempted to sit up, but felt Meowth on top of her, keeping her down.

"Keep ya head down, twoipette. Dis ain't for you," he said, a menacing grin on his face before he padded off to join his comrades, Wobbuffet going right with him. Once he had, and the smoke had completely cleared, Dawn could see the trio facing off almost smugly against Doctor Zager.

"Don't take orders? You are members of Team Rocket, on a mission to capture Ash Ketchum. Surely you located him!" James chuckled low under his voice, whipping out a rose and putting it between his teeth. "Well? !"

"You haven't figured out?" James asked of the doctor. "And here everyone would think  _we_  were the imbeciles. We're not here for Team Rocket!"

"We're here for one reason and one reason alone: ourselves. That's the best reason there is," Jessie cackled out. She and James moved closer to each other, almost posing back to back while Zager stared at them in utter disbelief. The room was tinged further orange from the flames and sunset outside. "Hah! My beauty has made him speechless."

"Yeah, dat's totally it, Jess," Meowth deadpanned.

"Shut it, Meowth. Don't decry my amazing popularity! It's what's made me such an effective agent all these years. Films! Showcases! Contests! I am the most perfect agent with striking, sparkling sexiness!" James looked ready to facepalm while Dawn looked to see Zager's face twitching. He seemed positively insulted, by Dawn's estimation.

"Effective? The only time you were truly effective was under my guidance," the doctor said, drawing the attention of the bickering trio. The Pokémon in front of Zager were coiling, as if preparing to strike. "After that muck-up in Unova, you were useful only when it came to gathering information."

"Oh, please, you don't know a thing, Doctor Zager! It's because of us that all those other organizations fell, you know," Jessie corrected him. Both she and James looked rather smug about it all, while Zager continued to stare in irritated disbelief. "But then the boss had to lose his marbles and start killing people. I'm a beautiful queen, not a savage."

"Dey're not mutually exclusive, ya know," Meowth said. Jessie looked ready to snap back at him, but the feline ignored her, extending his bright glowing claws with a grin. "Either way, consider dis our resignation from Team Rocket."

"So…that's what it is…you're just cowards running away at the cusp of our glory as we seem to be under attack? Why did you even come back here, then? You should have just run with your tails between your legs than come crawling here in disgrace!" Zager's questions and statement went unanswered as another explosion sounded off, and Dawn could swear she heard more screams through the base. James took his rose and tossed it off to the side, his Pokémon getting into battle stances.

"You still don't get it, old chum!" he announced, his voice echoing around the space while he flicked his blue hair. "We're not running! We came back to get our Pokémon so we can further help the organization that helped us, even if you seem to have blown them apart."

Jessie picked up the thread with a rather emphatic, "That's right, we're working for ARC!"

"And you bozos have been in da dark," Meowth finished. Dawn's own eyes widened; even after all the years of knowing those three, there was always a surprise with them. That the former thieves were actually working for a League-based organization was particularly mind-blowing, even if it made sense after all of the battles they'd fought in for peace. Zager was shaking.

"Not cowards, then…just traitors…After Giovanni gave you a chance…a home…you would betray us  _now_? !" Zager roared, spit flying from his mouth in quaking anger as his monocle shook on his face. Jessie smirked, stepping forward and snapping her finger.

"A home? You're right, the boss gave us more than we could have ever asked for."

"But it was the twerps that gave us family," James said, folding his arms as he regarded Zager with the same smugness his partners held.

"And dat ain't sometin' we're letting you take away, ya dig?" Meowth said, crouching in a sort of battle stance. "Dey may have been enemies, but dey ain't never considered us trash. And dey wouldn't ask us to do sometin' like killin' our own comrades, just 'cause dey're useless or some nonsense like dat!"

"You see, we're rivals with them, tied forever, Team Rocket or no," Jessie proclaimed, now throwing her finger to point at Zager. "And that means you and your stupid thoughts of destroying the world that adores me have to go! Leech Seed!"

"Geist!" Gourgeist shouted, raising into the air and spitting seeds from her mouth. It was quick enough that Zager, still recovering from Team Rocket's earth-shattering revelation (Dawn really couldn't think of calling them anything else), was unable to react in time. The seeds pressed to the ground and sprouted, wrapping both Steelix and Weavile up in the thick roots, beginning to suck their health away. Meowth took the initiative, running forward with his shining claws.

"Now have some of my Fury Swipes!" he roared, aiming right for Weavile. Zager reached up, grabbing to his monocle and crushing it in his hands with anger. Yet another explosion went off, this one closer than the last.

"Metal Claw…and Crunch," the doctor said in a low voice, one that sent a shiver up Dawn's spine. Piplup came close to her, keeping away from the battle. Weavile's claws glowed a bright silver and then slashed outwards, eliminating the roots as Meowth made contact, slashing at the creature. Their claws met, sending red sparks into the air. Steelix, meanwhile, gave a loud roar, opening its giant maw even wider and biting into the plants. "Your foolish sentiment is noted. And if that's how you feel, then I cannot allow you to oppose Team Rocket. This is for the glory of our new world!"

"Well, we can't allow our old comrades to destroy the world  _we_  live in, you know," James insisted to the doctor. "That's the whole thing. So, give our regards to the boss. Crabrawler, Carnivine, Bullet Beam!"

"Brawlah!" Crabrawler snapped, unclamping from James' head to open his claw. Carnivine also reared back and shot a thick stream of Bullet Seeds out for the form of Steelix, who now emerged from the vines to aim for them with his great, gaping jaw. Crabrawler fired the stream of bubbles out, mixing rapidly with the seeds to impact upon Steelix's face. It seemed to affect the beast some with its small, popping explosions, but the Steel type still dove downward, slamming into the two and chomping down.

"Iron Tail!" Zager said. From Dawn's ears, he definitely was no longer the cold and precise man that she had faced in the upper laboratories. He was a man incensed by everything spiraling out of his control, and most particularly by the three bumbling operatives turning on him and showing that, in the end, perhaps they weren't bumbling at all.

"Hagaaaaa!" Steelix roared loudly, its voice distorted as its tail slapped out with a fierce glow, right for Jessie's Pokémon. The ex-operative gave no order but looked to her group. They seemed to all know what to do, like a perfect team and family. Yanmega flitted up swiftly while Gourgeist joined her and Bewear stood her ground. The tail slammed into Bewear, but she wrapped her arms around it, gripping tightly despite obviously feeling the weight of the Mega Evolution's power.

"Brutal Swing! Yanmega, Steel Wing on that Weavile!" Yanmega nodded and then zipped down for where Meowth and Weavile were still locked in combat. She picked up speed as her wings glowed brightly, and just before she made contact, Meowth leapt away, slicing upwards once with his Fury Swipes. Then Yanmega slammed into the Sharp Claw Pokémon, driving it back.

"Icy Wind," Zager ordered. Dawn tried to sit up again, wanting to help the trio that had saved her life, but finding it difficult to breathe, let alone move. Weavile opened its mouth and sent a powdery wind, tinged with diamond dust, blasting outwards. Meowth managed to nimbly leap back, crying that it had been close, while Yanmega's right wing was hit by the attack, frosting it a bit.

"Payback, Crabrawler!" James ordered. Crabrawler seemed to shudder inside Steelix's mouth, firing one of the black orbs into it that sent the Iron Snake Pokémon reeling. Both he and Carnivine dropped down. Seeing they were okay, Dawn let herself lay back; this was their fight. It was the fight that would finally break them away from Team Rocket for good, and allow each of them to pursue their own path. Perhaps they had already started on it before, but now was the true moment for them to grasp their freedom, rejecting the doctrine they hadn't truly known they'd been following. Realizing this, as Crabrawler fired off a dark orb of power that slammed into Weavile and sent it skidding backwards, Dawn began to smile.

They had been enemies, but in the end, they were really family, finally moving forward on the right side.

"Rock Slide," Zager ordered. Steelix tossed its head up high, and bright portals appeared above, forming into the shape of rocks. Then they rained like a cascading waterfall upon the trio's Pokémon, with Jessie, James and Wobbuffet jumping back. Bewear, due to her height, was hit first. "You wish to leave Team Rocket, you say? To betray us when glory could have been yours? There's a high price for that."

"Yeah, we've paid enough prices," Jessie shouted. Yanmega, despite her frosted wing, zipped outwards, evading the large rocks and speeding up in the process. Her wing slowly thawed out as she got above. "I still don't remember the number of times we've blasted off, all on your orders, but that's ending today! Ancient Power! Seed Bomb!"

"Yan yan!" Yanmega cried, zipping straight back for Steelix and Weavile, both. Two bright orbs appeared near her mouth, just the same as Mamoswine used it. Dawn continued to smile, remembering the days she had no doubt battled against Jessie in Sinnoh. She had been cruel, and callous, and perhaps she still was, but there was a warmth and belief in her Pokémon and partners that could never be doubted. The former Team Rocket member had changed. Yanmega fired off the orbs, one for Weavile and the other for Steelix. Both collided with their opponents, while Gourgeist shot back from the force of her own glowing green seeds that slammed into Steelix's body and caused it to cry out.

"Now, let's make that thing cry for its mother! Baby Doll Eyes!" Bewear suddenly emerged from the pile of stones that had buried it and James' partners, eyes gleaming with a strange expression at Steelix, who recoiled.

"Okay, Inkay! Psybeam!" James called. Bewear let go of her comrades and Inkay flipped around in midair, aiming right for Steelix. For a Mega Evolution, Dawn felt it wasn't seeming all that strong. She further felt this as Inkay's multi-colored Psybeam cut along Steelix's figure, all the way down to its tail. Weavile was now running back towards the battle.

"Frustration!" Zager called, the enraged lines on his face all the more prominent now that his monocle was no longer there. Weavile glowed red, white smoke puffing from its body, and Dawn understood why Steelix didn't seem as strong. Carnivine and Crabrawler had recovered, just in time for Weavile to slash down on both of them, sending them flying backwards.

"Vine Whip, old chap!" James cried. As Carnivine flew back, its vines whipped outward, slamming against Weavile and knocking it back to the ground.

_It's teamwork…_ Dawn thought to herself. Steelix gave a loud roar that drowned out Zager's command, but it was very obvious what it was. The gigantic Pokémon arced through the air and suddenly burrowed into the metal floor, disappearing into the hole there. Dawn felt the floor shudder, but continued to watch the battle.  _Team Rocket…no…Jessie, James, Meowth…they're all working as a perfect team for their future, but Steelix is just another puppet…_

"It can't pull out its own true potential…" Dawn breathed down to Piplup, who looked at her with a light confusion. "And that means, there's no need to worry."

"Of course not, twerpette! You think we came here wanting to get blasted off?" Jessie yelled out. "Leech Seed, into the hole! And Yanmega, Steel Wing!"

"Crabrawler, Power-Up Punch!" James ordered. Meowth seemed to be staying out of it for a moment, but neither of the Pokémon hesitated in their orders. Already bruised from the initial tussle with Steelix, they acted unflinchingly. Gourgeist moved to float over the hole and sent the seeds cascading down below, all while Yanmega whipped around and zipped straight for Weavile, who anticipated the strike with its own glowing claws. "Today, we'll be the ones  _giving_  the blasting off!"

"Crabah!" Crabrawler agreed, leaping over the rocks with an orange glowing fist. Yanmega zipped right for Weavile, who slashed down, the appendages meeting and colliding with each other for just a brief moment. Yanmega zipped around again, diving and colliding with the claw before they were locked in place, straining against one another. It was the perfect moment for Crabrawler, who slid in, and with a fierce uppercut, slammed his fist into Weavile, sending it flying into the air.

"And dat means we win, doctor!" Meowth shouted, now leaping high into the air, his claws gleaming. Weavile's eyes widened, but Meowth ended up being faster, slicing right down upon the Sharp Claw Pokémon and sending it careening into the ground where it slammed down, the device around its neck breaking. "Do ya dig it, yet? We got nine lives, but you only got one."

"Then I'll take all nine lives of yours," Zager said with a cold growl. "Steelix, emerge!"

"Ganaaaah!" came the loud roaring and the ground shuddered yet again. Dawn reached with her good arm and gripped to Piplup tightly. From beneath the operatives, Steelix emerged, slamming up through the ground and scattering all of them. The only one standing its ground was Bewear, who moved to intercept Steelix. The Iron Snake collided with Bewear, who held it fast by its jaw, and Dawn could see the vines encapsulating the Steel type's body.

"Low Sweep, and Shadow Ball!" Gourgeist rotated like a turret and a crackling orb formed near her mouth before firing out. Then, she fired another and another to slam upon each link of Steelix's body, the rings around its body flickering from the pain. As Bewear held Steelix fast, her leg swept out, kicking into its very large body and sending it off to the side.

"Crunch. Bite that Bewear to nothing." There was another loud explosion, and Zager seemed distracted by it. It was a momentary one that James took advantage of. Carnivine, staying in its position, sent its vines snapping outward for Steelix and wrapped itself tightly around its jaw. Their opponent roared, still diving for Bewear, but unable to open its jaw from Carnivine holding fast. Zager turned back, his eye twitching with the monocle removed. "Iron Tail."

"Carnivine, get ba-" James' order was just a second too late. The tail slammed into Carnivine, sending it through the remaining flames and across the room. James returned his Pokémon as the vines completely slackened, while Steelix continued its assault, jaw wide. Bewear turned to Jessie and nodded. The magenta-haired woman sighed.

"I know. Hidden Power!" she shouted. Bewear, emboldened, formed a large silver orb in her hands, and as Steelix bore down upon her, she fired. The attack burst upon it, but Steelix didn't stop. With its mouth freed, the Iron Snake chomped down upon Bewear and tossed her to the wall with little effort. She smacked against it and slid down, with Jessie returning her moments later. "Yanmega, for hurting our darling Bewear…take that freaky piece of scrap metal down! Silver Wind!"

"A pointless effort! You're against a Mega Evolution, a power we've studied long enough to bring out full potential, even without a so-called 'bond'," Zager called to the group of them. Yanmega blasted forward, sending the silvery wind flying out from her wings. It blasted against Steelix, but seemed only to tickle it, and not much else. " _That_  is power, as you should well know. Team Rocket's power! Rock Slide!"

"Gooorahhhh!" Steelix roared with what seemed to be a cry of victory. The rocks all appeared in the air once again, and then rained down upon the remaining Pokémon of Jessie and James. The rubble seemed to just miss the two humans, but the dust billowed into Dawn's vision, and she couldn't see much, only hear the groans of both Yanmega and Crabrawler, both taken down, no doubt. Once more, Dawn tried to move, but could only cough. Zager seemed to scoff, as if pleased.

"Power, schmower," Jessie snapped through the dust, tacking on a cough at the end. "Trust me, bub, this is nothing."

"After all the Mega Evolutions and Legendaries we've faced, your Steelix is just a paltry puppet!" James proclaimed loudly. The dust from the rocks disappeared, a red light shining as the two returned their fallen Pokémon. Yet remaining, however, were Inkay and Gourgeist, floating and looking fierce in front of Wobbuffet. "Why, even  _we've_  used Mega Evolution. It really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Not against the twerp's way more powerful Pikachu, and definitely not against us!"

"Is that what you think?" Zager asked. Steelix gave another loud roar, its body pulsing with the orange aura of the Totem Pokémon. Dawn shut her eyes, not wanting to watch the fight that was taking a turn. However, she was forced to open them when she heard Jessie laughing maniacally.

"We're not scared of your silly inventions, doctor! We came here to help the twerps, and that's just what we're gonna do!"

"If beating your pants off by defeating your Mega Evolution is the way to do it…"

"Den meet ya maker!" Meowth agreed. Zager's twitching increased. "Jessie, James, let's give one final farewell to dese bozos once and for all. I'm a free Meowth!"

"Dark Pulse!" Jessie cried, a giddy smile on her face. Gourgeist and Inkay both looked roughed up from the Rock Slide, but like their ever-tenacious trainers, neither was giving up. Gourgeist floated back and fired off the inky swirl of energy that snapped into Steelix's midsection. The Iron Snake Pokémon cried out but soon dove forward, jaw gleaming with the intensity of Crunch.

"Inkay, Foul Play!" Steelix continued barreling for James' smaller Pokémon. Just as it was about to make contact, the flippers extended out, grabbing ahold of Steelix. In seconds, Dawn's eyes stared with shock while Inkay lifted the heavy Steelix into the air and brought it whirling around to slam right down on to the ground next to Doctor Zager, where the flames licked at it and the vines of the earlier Leech Seed continued to pulse around its figure, shriveling off slowly.

"Iron Tail! End them! Show them the power of Team Rocket!" Zager roared in desperation, more spit flying from his mouth. Seeing his Mega Evolution so manhandled had to have snapped something inside him, Dawn figured. Steelix's tail shot out from where it was, aiming for their entire group.

"Wobaaaaaaaaa…" Wobbuffet suddenly cried, leaping forward. He landed, just as the tail slammed into him. He endured it for a moment, glowing brightly. "…FETTTTTTTTT!"

"Now, Gourgeist, Dark Pulse, one more time!"

"And Inkay! Psybeam!" The attack was grander than Dawn ever would have expected. Inkay fired his multi-colored beam; Gourgeist sent her dark energy out; Wobbuffet simply stood there with a grin, and the beam of Counter fired on a straight collision course for Doctor Zager and his Mega Steelix. "Power, doctor? That's what we have on our side because of the twerps and world we're fighting to save from delusions of diabolical grandeur!"

"Impos-" Zager couldn't get the words out. The beams joined together, barreling towards him, and they blasted through, eclipsing his entire figure and that of Steelix's. The blast of wind was so great that Dawn felt it, even though she was behind them. From the great wrenching sound, it clearly impacted with the wall, exploding through until the bright light ended. "Ah…ah…"

Zager was still standing, smoking from the attacks on him, while Steelix had reverted form, its own control device shattering into pieces. Jessie and James turned to look at each other, scoffing with victory while Meowth smirked. It was a positive moment for them before they finally seemed to nearly collapse to their knees, gripping to each other.

"We've really done it now!" Jessie screamed out. "We've left Team Rocket for good!"

"I hope the boss takes it well, but somehow I doubt it," James admitted with a nervous chuckle that didn't hide how freaked out he was.

"Where is da boss anyway?"

"Better question…" Dawn gasped out, finally managing to sit up with all of her pain, "is how did you get here and why?" The trio blinked, as if they hadn't expected her to ask such a question (or, more likely, they'd forgotten she was still there). They turned, looking at her.

"Well, he asked us to," was James' simple answer. Dawn's brow furrowed in genuine confusion.  _Who_  had asked them to? "And besides, by that point we already knew what had happened, so-"

_BOOM!_

The loud sound interrupted, as a fiery inferno blasted through the open door and all the way to the exterior wall, blowing yet another hole in it. It wasn't as powerful as the one before, like it was controlled to not kill everyone off. What it  _did_  do, though, was fill the room with smoke that caused all of them to cough. Jessie was the first to yell out.

"Who the heck did that? !" she screeched, but received no answer for a second. There was another loud thud, and then Dawn heard the sound she dreaded most in that moment: buzzing.

"Well, you made short work of this place…" Dawn's body shivered, and her broken arm twitched with pain. "But I'm surprised you're not dead yet, girl. You all are so tenacious."

"But  _they're_  not," said a different voice, one that Dawn didn't recognize. The only one she did was one that suddenly cried out as the smoke cleared. Piplup snuggled in, as if frightened, while Team Rocket (or rather, the trio  _formerly_ known as Team Rocket) struggled to stand. Two figures stood there now, and Dawn could instantly see the form of Louise, and that of a blond man, holding to Zager's head while his Camerupt and a Darmanitan surrounded him. "This has been too easy, Louise. They never saw it coming."

"T-Tolbert…Louise…" Zager gasped out from his grasp in the man's hands. "It…it was  _you_? You're the one…killing our comrades…?"

" _Our_  comrades," Tolbert said, and Dawn saw something snap in the blond's disposition. "I would  _never_  be comrades with the likes of sinners like you. You were just tools…tools so easily disposed of it proved that we were  _right_  all along."

Dawn couldn't say anything, no words coming to her lips in that moment. Nothing but fear bubbled up in her chest, and even Team Rocket appeared to be shaking. They had nothing left to fight with, and they knew it.

"Toll, stop dragging it out. I'm sure there's a number of operatives left, and we still need to get to Lanakila before Deirdre chews us out," Louise spoke. Toll grinned, seeming to agree with the woman.

"You're right…I'm not one to stand on ceremony. Farewell, Doctor Zager."

"No! Please, don't!" Zager shouted, his voice going up a pitch. Toll's mouth widened into a grin, as though he was now officially taking pleasure in the act. "The glory! For the glory of Team Rocket! Didn't you help us to…?"

"The only glory you'll see…is hell," Toll spoke. Dawn closed her eyes, praying desperately as her legs refused to move. "Now, say goodbye. Team Rocket dies today."

_Someone, please help us._

Then Toll tossed Zager to the side, towards Camerupt, and once more the room exploded with a great volcanic fury that consumed the last remaining scientist.

* * *

"Primarina, Sparkling Aria!" Serena screamed out, flipping back a bit to gain distance from both of her foes. As Primarina formed the orb of water between her flippers, both Deirdre and Giovanni seemed to face each other off, the leader of Team Rocket placing his hands in his pockets with great assurance. Primarina spun on the ground and flung the orb of water towards Persian.

"Shadow Claw." Giovanni's command was so blunt, Serena wondered if he had anticipated the move from the beginning. Persian pounced into the air, its claw glowing a deep black hue. The orb of water reached it, but before it exploded, Persian had slashed through it, completely obliterating the attack. Serena's lip twitched. With two high caliber opponents before her, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they sought to take her out.

"Dragon Pulse, Altaria," Deirdre commended. Serena snapped a look to her. Altaria was flying forward, beak open and grazing the ground with the purple, draconic beam, but the auburn-haired woman kept her sights on Serena. Persian leapt back, barely avoiding the blow, the side of its leg nicked by the attack. "Can I ask you, Serena, what  _did_  happen to my son?"

"Disarming Voice!" Serena now called, ignoring the question that was posed. Deirdre sighed, while Primarina opened her mouth. The sound blasted out in its heart-shaped vibrations, reverberating around the canyon and drowning out both the sound of the explosions below and the departure of the ship up above. The heart-shaped soundwaves continued to rattle around the area, breaking stones off. Persian growled angrily, though Giovanni looked unfettered, hands still in his pockets. The man clearly had no interest in interrogation.

"Sky Attack," Deirdre said in response. Altaria clipped along the air, making a tight circle and beginning to aim for Primarina, body glowing a golden color. It collided with the soundwaves and pushed on through them. There was a slight struggle there, but not enough to deter its approach. "I'm only asking because I never did find out. Only that he died."

"He died because he…" Serena stopped herself from answering. Deep down, the truth was that Travis had died protecting Seamus, but it had only led there from his own cruel actions up to that point. "Why do you care? Maybe if you had been around he wouldn't have turned out the way he did before he died!"

"Hm, I doubt that." Altaria slammed into Primarina, pushing her back, though the Soloist Pokémon shook her head, glancing back at Serena to tell her that she was okay. "Didn't I just tell you before?  _I_  was the one that gave my son that scar he wore so proudly. Uppity little brat. He was asking for it, always spending time wanting to grow  _stronger_. A bit like you, Giovanni."

"There is none like me," Giovanni countered with, his smirk slipping into sternness. "Bite, Persian."

"Merowr!" Persian hissed out, and it ran along the canyon top. It leapt upwards, jaws gleaming brightly, and clasped upon one of Altaria's cotton tufts. Altaria cried out in pain before Persian whipped the Humming Pokémon and tossed it right towards Deirdre. The woman stepped back, making sure her Pokémon wouldn't collide with her. A loud noise was heard up above, and Serena looked to see that the second transport was already away, with just one more left to take off. Giovanni didn't give a second command, but Persian landed on the ground before bounding off with a white shining claw for Deirdre herself.

"Hmph," came the scoff, and the auburn-haired woman gracefully sidestepped the attacking cat. Yet again, Persian landed and bounded for her, but another time she used perfect steps to avoid the attack, a maddening smirk on her lips as their shadows danced on the canyon's surface. "Travis was an adorably dumb child. He wanted to be just like mama and papa for no real reason. Nothing like Seamus, who aspired to be like your husband, or those other people with real meat to their dreams. I let him spend time with that Dalton in the hopes it would turn him into a visionary, but he cared nothing for the woes of the world. Hyper Beam."

"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Serena shouted. Altaria took no time at all to prepare the attack, flapping upwards as the dark purple beam coalesced in its mouth and fired. Persian was too slow, slammed by the attack, but Primarina veiled herself in water and shot straight off towards the sky, avoiding injury completely. The beam blasted into the illuminated canyon, chipping away the stone. "Are you saying you do? Because working with Team Rocket to hurt people-"

"Working with them? Ha ha, you're adorable," Deirdre laughed out, right before she looked straight at Giovanni. "We  _used_  them."

"Is that what you thought?" Giovanni asked with his own menacing chuckle. In the air above, Primarina spun out of her Aqua Jet. She looked to Serena, who nodded. At the silent command, Primarina aimed downward and shot a bevy of high-powered bubbles for both Persian and Altaria. They collided with Altaria, but Persian sidestepped rather nimbly. "I anticipated betrayal from you since day one. When you let Ketchum get away despite explicitly saying we'd need him, I knew then that you were planning to betray me. I just never thought it was in this fashion, or this soon, I suppose. Power Gem."

Serena grimaced as Persian skidded along the rocks, firing a red beam straight from its jewel and into the Bubblebeam. It exploded as the third transport above began making its way out. A bit closer to them, Giovanni's helicopter remained hovering, his assistant watching with what appeared to be nervous anticipation. Deirdre didn't seem perturbed by any of it whatsoever. She just looked at Giovanni with an expression that said nothing on her lips, though all of their murderous intents appeared to flare greater, making Serena swallow. "Congratulations, then. You have me all figured out…I'm a liar through and through. But believe me when I say that one can't live in this world without a vision. Draco Meteor."

"Oh, I have vision," Giovanni spoke, the look on his face showing that he was now beginning to have some vested interest in the conversation. It made Serena feel in over her head, but Primarina was still standing, landing back atop the rocks without injury. "A vision where we use the meteonite, and the blood of all those spilt, to rebuild the world for Team Rocket, with myself as its lord and master."

"I won't let that happen!" Serena called, but Giovanni had no interest in her. Altaria rose to the sky, glowing orange as a projectile shot outward from its beak and exploded everywhere in falling comets. Below, the same manner of explosions was happening to the base. Serena crossed her wrists, beginning the motions for yet another Z-Move. "That makes you just like AZ in the past when he wouldn't spare the Draconids, and Lusamine, and Michael: people whose mistakes ruined the world we lived in."

"And what do I care about other people? They're expendable tools, just as Deirdre has said. Work well for me, and I'll keep you. Fail me and I'll dispose of you, like those three fools that always ran after Ketchum," Giovanni sneered out. The meteor reached its apex and split apart fully, raining more of the comets down in every possible direction. Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she looked to Deirdre, who stared right back, as if saying "Isn't he just like my son?".

"No one should ever throw anyone else's future away! You don't get to decide that! Oceanic Operetta!" Serena yelled out. Blue light burst from her Z-Ring, surrounding Primarina, who created an even larger orb of water. The meteors were coming to crash down and Primarina threw the water. The streaking projectiles slammed into the surface of the water, caught within its aqueous grip and protecting all those on the canyon's surface.

"But I will. Your naivete is no obstacle. Persian, Shadow Claw." Persian hissed again, leaping up with the claw that brimmed with ghostly influence. It dove into the Z-Move, both claws now pulsing with shadows before it slashed them in a crosswise fashion. The giant bubble broke apart, exploding with water that fell down upon the combatants. Persian, however, didn't catch a break. Altaria was already on the move again, glowing golden as it rammed into Persian.

"Aqua Jet!" Serena yelled, her face settling into one of pure fury. To hear that there were still so many people steeped in their cruelty and selfishness, even long after those who seemed to have influenced them were gone…Primarina shot up, aiming right for both Altaria and Persian. In no time, she reached them, ramming them both. "Toss them and use Disarming Voice!"

"Bite," Giovanni ordered. The sound above was even louder now, and Serena flicked her vision upwards. The transport was almost away. There was no time left. Primarina tossed both Altaria and Persian down to the floor of the canyon's top, but Persian didn't let go, bending its body to bite into Primarina's tail.

"Primaaaaa!" she cried out in pain, writhing to get Persian off her. Even so, that cry of pain turned into her Disarming Voice, the hearts firing down upon Altaria. It didn't last long, though, as Persian spun and tossed Primarina right to the ground. Thankfully, she looked fine, just as Persian began dropping.

"Hyper Beam." Deirdre's command nearly caught Serena off guard. From the ground, Altaria raised its neck and fired the beam. Persian was engulfed by it, but what surprised Serena all the more was its range, the attack firing all the way to the hangar and slamming into it. The room shuddered, moving a bit in the air and hitting part of the final transport. That proved ineffectual, regardless, as seconds later, the third transport was away, only the hanger showing light damage as the shadows of sunset began to conceal it and any movement inside it, regardless. "Your vision? Hm…It's your vision that's proven the most poisonous of all, Giovanni."

"Has it? I couldn't care less," Giovanni spoke. He didn't even seem to be watching them anymore, merely patting his leg. Persian meowed a moment and then returned quickly to the man's side. Up above, Matori dropped a rope ladder for him to climb. "You were useful to me, while you obeyed, Deirdre. But I now have everything I need for my new world, thanks to you. The research Zager did without your guidance proved most useful. I'd stay to eliminate you, myself, but I've no time, nor a want to waste energy I'll need. However, if I see your face again, your life will be forfeit."

"That's a shame…My life is irrelevant to me, but I wanted to hold on to my post a little longer," Deirdre spoke. Giovanni scoffed, grabbing ahold of the ladder.

"Matori, take us up! Now!" His assistant didn't reply verbally, merely nodding her head with just one more look of pursed lips to the auburn-haired woman below. Soon after, the rotors of the helicopter above beat a little faster, and the leader of Team Rocket began to rise, slipping out of their reach, Persian curled around his shoulders. He said nothing more, but it didn't stop Serena. She ran forward, right for Primarina.

"You're all right?" she asked. Primarina nodded and, as if she could sense what Serena wanted, lowered herself. Serena instantly moved to mount her Pokémon, and Primarina burst forward with water. She felt her legs get cold, but Serena held on; there was no way she would let Giovanni get away. The two went sailing into the air, right over the canyon and for the retreating helicopter. A sharp cry was heard behind her, and Serena looked back to see Deirdre also giving chase atop Altaria, flying like it was weightless.

"Dragon Pulse!" the auburn-haired woman called, her voice echoing over the canyon space. Altaria continued soaring forward, beak opening wide to fire the ever-familiar draconic beam.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Serena shouted. The rush of water around Primarina's body increased, and she shot off. It may have been ineffective against Primarina, but Serena wasn't about to let herself be hit by that force. Nevertheless, the dragon pursued, giving surprising chase as they traveled out, further away from the base, and more over the canyon. The helicopter was slipping far out of their reach at this point, but Serena had to concern herself more with staying level. Primarina slipped to the side and the dragon lost its height, falling to slam into the canyon top. "Sparkling Aria!"

"Riiiiinaaaa!" Primarina cried, swiping her body through the air and creating a bubble of fresh water that she fired at Altaria. From atop Altaria, Deirdre smirked, and like the madwoman Serena supposed she was, jumped off. Altaria blitzed forward, glowing golden. The Sparkling Aria collided with Altaria, but it didn't stop the attack, and the Humming Pokémon slammed into Primarina.

The water broke, all manner of giving chase lost. Primarina jerked, and Serena's hands were thrown from her beloved partner in the shuddering force. Primarina cried out for her as she slipped. A brief look down told her just how deep and twisting this part of the canyon was…and how many sharp rocks were below, as well. Altaria was circling back around, quickly catching up with Dierdre before she could hit the bottom. It was a mastery of coordination. The second it reached its trainer, Altaria glowed orange, preparing a Draco Meteor. Serena whipped her pokeball out, sending the red beam over to the wincing Primarina and returning her before more damage could be done. Her body fell faster as she gripped it tight.

"Kuuuuuuu!" Serena opened her eyes, gaze going between above and below. Perhaps Sylveon could slow her fall, but the rocks were still a contender for impaling her. The meteors split, a few of them falling towards the canyon, leaving Serena little time to think of a solution for her sudden situation. Then she recognized the cry. A large, white orb flashed through the sky. Serena didn't blink, knowing she'd miss it if she did. The meteors all exploded and Altaria rocked back while Deirdre remained steady. Then sharp purple streaks flashed out, forcing Altaria to break off its attack entirely and instead partake in pursuit of the original target. One of the purple streaks grazed by Deirdre's head, but she looked unaffected, even her expression unchanging.

A black shape flitted across the sky, giving chase to the woman. Serena decided to go for broke. Dead or not, at least she knew she'd tried. Her hand reached for her pokeball, and before she completely passed the tops of the canyon, she saw that black shape flit near the base, another falling from it before it turned around to give further pursuit to Deirdre as the sunset sky turned dark.

"Frenzy Plant!" a voice yelled, and Serena stopped in her reaching of her pokeball. Great roots emerged beneath her, and she felt her back slam into them, slowing her descent rapidly, though it wasn't changing her destination. Those falling above her did, though. "Decidueye, let's go!"

"Kooroo!" the hooting of Decidueye called as Serena was about to reach the jagged portion of the canyon floor. Then she felt herself encapsulated by a flitting shape, wings around her, before it let go and that which surrounded her turned into a pair of arms instead. She looked up, and even as she fell to a far less jagged part of the canyon with the person encapsulating her body, her heart felt full and complete again.

"Sorry I'm late Serena, but boy did it take a while," Ash said, rubbing at his nose. But Serena didn't care, and the second they touched down to the canyon floor, cut off from everyone else, she embraced her husband and kissed him, reunited at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, action packed moments abound and a bit more about Deirdre was revealed while Giovanni moves to enact his final plan! More importantly, Ash is back! And TRio! So you know things are just going to get better here as the battle continues on in a brutal fashion. Hopefully you enjoyed this action packed chapter!
> 
> This is all pretty big stuff, and now that Ash is back, the story should really ramp up. Until that next chapter, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	13. A Recollection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because sometimes the simplest explanation is also the right one. Time for Chapter 13!

Chapter 13

A Recollection

The town was peaceful under the night sky, little lights glimmering from all the houses that were there, painting a rather idyllic picture to the citizens that were resting inside them. In the distance, the mansion that was the mayor's house was also lit up, decorated with beautiful fountains and the finer things. It was all a symbol of the town's revival, even now, eight years later. No one would have believed, standing there in Po Town, that so many years ago it had been ransacked and devastated by those calling themselves Team Skull. In fact, one would wonder if any of those currently living in the restored town ever truly knew about the events that had taken place here. The only one was possibly the mayor, elected after his heavy charity work on the town.

However, Lance knew all too well. He knew what Po Town represented to the people of Alola in the current age, and even for the mayor, there. Having been a part of the force that worked to restore it, he could look at Po Town and remember the past with utmost fondness.

That wasn't what the Champion was here for, though. It wasn't to relive the old days with a happy grin. It wasn't to think about the League's past accomplishments. It certainly wasn't about anything fond, either. No, he was here on a much darker purpose; one that very few people knew about. Reaching up to run a hand through his hair, Lance stared up at the mansion, lights on throughout the entire building. There were some other sounds somewhere in town, as though a celebration at some local establishment, but Lance chose to ignore them. He began to walk forward calmly and slowly, approaching the mansion in the near distance.

Lance's body remained on high alert, looking along the moonlit streets, almost reacting with any movement surrounding him. Things had set him on edge, not the least of which had been the bomb site of what was now left of ARC. He hadn't contacted the League the whole day, and there was no doubt Diantha was worrying, especially given the tattered state of so many other things. He decided he couldn't waste time really worrying about any of that, however.

"Merow," a Persian seemed to purr out from an alleyway, and Lance stopped. He turned his head, the Classy Cat Pokémon emerging. It certainly didn't seem like an alley cat of any sort. It was far too pampered and aware for that. Instead, it seemed to act like a sentinel in the night, keeping constant surveillance on the town. Lance remained staring at the creature, and then it turned its head up, seeming to act just a little snooty. The Champion chuckled at that as the Persian then continued along the ground, walking regally towards the mansion.

He followed, the journey going much smoother now as the two reached the mansion in moments. Lance reached up and rapped his knuckles on the door. It took a brief moment, but eventually the door opened wide, light streaming out into the streets and illuminating the figure standing there.

"Mayor Keoni, has Looker arrived?" At Lance's words, Keoni silently opened the door further. Persian slunk inside, rubbing up against his trainer's leg as he did so, while the greater amount of light fully illuminated the young man's features. In that same light, Lance noted the darker skin of the young man that was the mayor of Po Town, having been elected only in the last few years.

"He arrived just a half hour ahead of you," Keoni answered graciously. Lance regarded him a moment as he further pushed the door open to let the Champion in. From Ash's comments in the past, one would be hard pressed to believe that Keoni had once been an absolutely spoiled and selfish brat. The elegance and care with which he carried himself as the mayor of Po Town seemed to preclude that these days.

"Excellent," Lance said, even though he didn't feel it was truly excellent at all. Keoni appeared to agree, his jaw looking uncomfortable as he nodded. The Champion chose to ignore that and proceeded inwards, to the interior of the mansion. Keoni closed the door behind him and then took the lead towards a sitting room off to the side. "Is our other guest here yet, as well?"

"No," Keoni snapped out, sounding a little irritated. The mayor shoved his hands in his pockets. "But you know his lazy ass. Probably wouldn't be bothered even if you set him on fire."

"That 'lazy ass' helped to get you elected…and I think he'll want to hear this," Lance spoke to him. Keoni scoffed loudly, clearly not considering Lance's words to be truth. He had no care either way; it was irrelevant about any of that. "Though, you're right. I forgot that expert PR specialist you had."

"Because she wouldn't stop pestering me after I asked her for just a single favor," Keoni replied, but he looked almost uncomfortable just mentioning it on a base level. The two stopped just outside the sitting room, a door separating them from the interior. Lance turned to push open on the door when Keoni's hand snapped out to grab his arm. "Look, I have no idea what you three are meeting about, so I'll stay out of your hair, but…I want to ask…does it have to do with the news, Champion?"

"If it did?" Lance asked. Keoni faltered, his face screwing into a look of high discomfort. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but someone stepped out from a different room: a butler bowing graciously low.

"Mayor Keoni, Lady Maka is on the phone for you." Keoni flinched at that, offering a smirk to form on Lance's face. The mayor sighed, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks as he turned away snottily and left Lance behind to aim for his butler, mumbling to himself. Lance watched him go in amusement.

_He's in denial. Or that young woman just makes everyone happy…and better,_  Lance thought to himself. He'd only had the pleasure of meeting Maka a couple times, but each time she'd seemed to certainly brighten things up. It was no wonder that Keoni seemed more mellow in the woman's presence. Yet that still was not the reason he was here. Lance's face settled into a stern expression and he pushed the door open, entering into the sitting room.

"Welcome, Champion," Looker's voice sounded out the second that he did so, the red-haired Champion looking to one of those he was meeting with. The head of the International Police was sitting on a chair, sipping tea calmly, as if the entire world  _wasn't_  falling to pieces around them. Lance shook his head, whipping his cloak out and seating himself upon one of the other chairs in the room. That appeared to be the signal for Looker to place his cup on its saucer and back on the small table between them. "Am I to understand you found proof?"

"As much proof as they would leave behind," Lance admitted with a snort. Looker's brow furrowed, seeming concerned. The Champion didn't blame him. "I wanted to thank you for Anabel. She was useful in the investigation at the attack site. I hear they've got it all cleaned up."

"She's a great agent. Reminds me of myself, when I was younger," Looker admitted with a laugh. Lance's face grew drawn, and even Looker sent his own gaze downwards following the words. "That's what this is about, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," grumbled a voice from near the window of the sitting room. Lance stood, hand flying to his pokeball as he suddenly felt the light breeze from outside. His action was precluded by a rather amused chuckle, however. "Don't bother, Champion."

"Mr. Nanu! You made it!" Looker now stood as well, pushing his chair back in the process. With it out of the way, Lance could clearly see the form of Nanu, foot kicking back to close the window he had entered through. The Champion sighed; what was wrong with the man just coming in through the door like a normal person? In either case, the man approached a chair and draped himself upon it lazily.

"Would rather have not, but you wouldn't stop calling," Nanu sighed out. He turned his head, staring at the both of them. Lance stared back at the man, wondering if he was analyzing them thoroughly or just quickly sizing them up. "So, what's all this about?"

"You've heard the news?" Lance asked pointedly. Nanu didn't answer right away, reaching over to grab some of the food sitting on the table. He nibbled on it with a look of disgust.

"Who hasn't?" was the eventual response. "Whole world's goin' to hell again. But what's that matter? You folks at the League are in more than enough control of that."

"ARC is gone," Lance cut across. To this, Nanu raised an eyebrow, as if finally intrigued by the conversation. "They were blown up by someone claiming to be from Team Rocket, if the things I heard are correct. Lionel is dead."

"Tch…even that brat goes on…" Nanu shifted his body now, looking rather displeased by the news that had been delivered. "First Koa, now Hala's relinquished his position as Kahuna to that grandson of his…the world's changing, isn't it? Moving on without us."

"I wouldn't say that," Looker stated. Nanu refused to look at him, staring at his trembling hands. Lance couldn't figure out which of a myriad of emotions Nanu was experiencing, but if he had to guess, it seemed closest to rage. "But… _they're_  certainly paving their own world. You know what I mean. They helped us establish the world we built for so long, and then, they just stopped."

"They didn't stop," Lance commented. He looked to the head of the International Police, impressing upon him the seriousness of this situation. "We know full well what they moved on to do. The only question right now is whether they joined to continue their 'mission', or if they felt so jilted they genuinely joined the other cause."

"How did you find the evidence to corroborate your suspicions?" Looker asked, folding his arms. Now that he wasn't on supremely high alert, Lance sat back down, crossing one leg over the other.

"How many people do  _you_  know with such destructive force, and yet, the ability to  _not_  automatically destroy a town with it? Or to assassinate an entire village? Then I hear of what happened at Nova Town. Drones attacking the populace? These aren't coincidental things, Looker," Lance snapped at the man. The policeman didn't react, simply listening to it all with pursed lips. There was another second of silence, and the head of the International Police sat back down. "Had they not all happened at the same time, I might have thought nothing of it."

"But no hard evidence. Nothing official?" Looker asked. His voice seemed to be shaking, but Lance didn't fault him. Specters rising from the grave would unsettle anyone. Lance tapped his knee, taking a small peak at Nanu before looking right at Looker.

"I went through old documents at the G-Men's headquarters. Mission reports, leave of absences, and all the like," Lance informed the man. Nanu seemed to fold his hands together, a small smirk stretching across his face in what seemed like anticipation. "Their last few, since after the unusual drop-off…were gone."

"Hacked?" Looker asked in surprise. The gears in his head seemed to be turning, contemplating. After that second, he reached into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a small device. His fingers began touching around on it, looking some things up. With each passing second, a scowl fit more and more on his face. "Yes…it would appear so. Even the investigative reports following their disappearance are gone."

"Why am I not surprised?" Nanu asked. Lance once more looked to the older man, the Kahuna's tired eyes alighting with a vim and vigor that the Champion never thought possible from him. "She had all the skills…the jack of all trades. They went to great lengths to cover it up if no one realized."

"It's not surprising. The G-Men and International Police wanted it quiet after that last mission," Lance told Nanu. The man nodded, a grin stretching across his face. "Though…not even  _we_  know what happened there, and we were all liaisons on it. That was before the battle in Alola here, correct, Nanu?"

"Yes, it was. Well before," Nanu replied. "You, me and Looker, just my protégé at the time were all involved with that. The mission that went wrong in, what was it, Unova? Maybe…? Whatever, I barely even remember the details. All I remember is them vanishing after that. Clearly they've been busy since." Nanu finished his statement with a chuckle. He seemed to almost be enjoying this entire prospect and what it presented. "Heh, seems that things are rather  _ideal_ for Team Rocket, now aren't they? Over a decade and a half and they show up now…wonder what they're planning…"

"Is it another battle?" Keoni's voice jerked Lance out of his chair, though Nanu was still unmoving, that maddening grin on his face. He had to wonder what the man's personal stake in these revelations was. "Is another battle, like the one eight years ago, about to descend on Alola? Is there anything we can do to prevent it?"

"Battle?" Nanu asked, his back straightening as his eyes looked up to the mayor. "This is no battle, kid. They're not looking for one…Trust me, if you knew them, you wouldn't be asking a question about that. It's what made them so effective."

"What  _are_  they looking for becomes the question, then," Lance stated. He kept his gaze on Nanu, as did everyone that was there. The grin told nothing, but Nanu's next answer told everything about his own state of mind regarding the revelations.

"I couldn't tell you that, but if they're working for Team Rocket, it has something to do with them," Nanu explained. His back left the chair and he stood to his full height, hands slipping into his pockets. "However, what they're looking for isn't a battle…but a  _war_. And unless you're prepared to fight like hell for one, they will wipe you out in an instant.

"So, you want to help? Then call your girlfriend-"

"She's not-"

"-and you send out a video to every trainer willing and able to fight, because I'm going to tell you right now: it's going to require every last drop of blood, sweat and tears to stop them. I can promise you that."

* * *

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Max's voice groaned out from his place underneath the palm tree. The moonlight was casting a shadow over his figure, though the light from Brock's headband showed enough of his face in the darkness. Bonnie looked up and over to her two companions, Brock tending to the nasty wound that had been inflicted on Max's leg. It seemed better than before, but with intense swelling and no promise that Max would be walking anytime soon, Bonnie still flinched upon seeing it.

"I'm going to build a signal!" Bonnie declared. Brock turned his head, looking at her as she stood there proudly, framed by the moonlight. Both of his and Max's expressions were one of immense skepticism, to be sure, and while Bonnie already felt the pangs of doubt inside, she wasn't going to let any of that worry her. Either way, they all continued to stare at her, blinking just a little bit. "What? We're trapped on an island in the middle of nowhere and no way to get off. Excuse me for trying to think of a solution."

"But Bonnie does not have her brother's prowe-" Rotom, its voice still garbled from the earlier water, began to say. Bonnie slammed a foot against her bag on the ground to shut it up.

"You don't get to talk; you're just a Pokédex!" she snapped in reply. There were still the shared looks of skepticism thrown at her, however.

"Ne…" Dedenne also said skeptically. This prompted Bonnie to glare at the rodent challengingly, though he just shrunk in, looking sheepish. As she snapped back to looking at the others, however, they hadn't backed down in their own skepticism. In fact, they didn't even seem to be paying attention to her at all!

"Come on, let's test your foot," Brock was speaking to the bespectacled boy, leaning down to help him sling an arm over his shoulder. Max grimaced with pain as Brock hauled the boy to his feet. He touched down the braced foot and hissed loudly, nearly falling off of the doctor's shoulder. It was a good thing that Gallade was there to support him. Bonnie's expression softened, watching him in that pain.

Averting her eyes from the sight of her rival in such distress, Bonnie turned out towards the ocean, waves lapping up against her toes and tickling her feet, her shoes long discarded with the rest of their packs (the same place that Squishy was resting). In the nighttime, the ocean was peaceful enough, the colored veins that rested far beneath the waters invisible from where she stood. The visions and information that had been shared with her still disturbed her, causing her hands to bundle and twist together. Dedenne appeared to sense this, tilting his head in worry.

"Nedene?" he asked. Bonnie smiled over to her partner and picked him up, holding him softly in her hands. She held him upwards, the moonlight shining upon his tiny little figure.

"I'm okay, promise," she said, smiling brightly at him. Dedenne seemed to like that, wriggling out of her grip to hit the beach and go running for her bag, likely to nap a bit. Bonnie just stayed watching at the water. She wondered how everyone else was doing. Had they all been so expertly tracked the same way she, Brock and Max had been? Was Serena okay?

How many other people had died?

_The world is breaking…but why?_  Bonnie questioned to herself. She kicked at the water, sending it splashing upwards.  _Who would want to actually break the world?_  Of course, she knew the answer to that, but had always believed his influence was long since gone from the world. Bonnie felt her mouth going dry and she swallowed. Surely, he wasn't still trying to destroy the world so many years after his death… _No, that doesn't make sense…_

"It's too deliberate," Bonnie sighed out, sticking her hands into her tiny pockets and kicking at the water again. This sort of world destruction seemed deliberately placed, rather than Michael's technique of throwing things around until something broke.

"What's too deliberate?" Max asked, suddenly next to her side. She jumped, but turned to him, supported by Gallade. Behind the two of them, Brock seemed to be making a fire, pushing the downed drones out of the way to prevent any accidents. Bonnie sighed out and looked to Max, the boy attempting to adjust his glasses.

"Nothing, really," Bonnie said. There was no use in burdening him with her own burdens while he was in his current state. She closed her eyes again, visions yet again flashing in her brain. A Latios, Rocky, and those others that foretold the end of the world. She breathed upwards. "So, what do you think we should do to make a signal happen?"

"You really don't know what you're doing, do you?" Max asked haughtily.

"Bonnie only does in a Pokémon battle!" Rotom's voice shouted out. Bonnie's eye twitched, her mind debating about kicking either Max or Rotom fiercely, but decided it was poor fashion (or just too far, in Rotom's case). She did decide to voice it, though, more or less.

"For that, I really want to kick you, but I don't kick someone crippled," she snapped angrily to her rival. Max jerked his body, though it was rather ineffectual, given that Gallade was holding to him.

"I am  _not_  a cripple!"

"No, you're just a mean old man in a teenager's body!" Bonnie teased him, pulling her eye down and sticking her tongue out. Max gasped in indignation, his mouth flapping open as sounds spluttered out. Bonnie twirled around on the sand.

"I am  _not_  an old man! I just happen to know better than you," Max countered, but Bonnie couldn't help it. She broke out into full-on laughter that echoed across the ocean. Dedenne scampered back up to her, dropping a berry into her hands. It made her feel quite the bit better about it all as she popped it into her mouth.

"Well, if that's the case, how come you lost the last time we battled, Maxy?" Bonnie teased him. He hobbled forward with Gallade, his face turning a bright red. He seemed to want to come up with some sort of response to her most recent jab, but Brock happened to interfere before that could even happen.

"Well, when the two of you want to stop arguing like an old married couple, do you want to help me out?" the doctor asked, stopping the two of them as they looked to him. He had definitely gotten a fire going now, small and smoldering, but slowly growing larger with some of the leaves from the palms. It was smoking as well.

"We are not arguing!" the two of them shouted back at him. Brock dropped another twig into the fire.

"Not the reaction I was expecting…" the man lamented. Bonnie threw her hands back behind her head, grinning a bit. Maybe being stuck on an island with these two wasn't that bad, after all. "But the two of you need to stop acting like a couple while I'm separated from my precious Aria! Isn't that right, Croagunk?"

"Gunk?" Croagunk croaked out, turning his head with a blank stare. Even so, Brock recoiled and chuckled nervously while rubbing behind his head. Max finally ignored all of the banter and walked forward, towards the heavily smoking fire, billowing upwards to the sky and carried by the winds.

"Ah! Great idea, Brock. We can send a signal with the smoke from the fire," Max commented. Bonnie scowled; she had thought of it first, after all. "Though…how will anyone be able to see it from here when the sky is so dark out?"

"We'll get there if we need to," Brock admitted, coming to sit cross-legged before the fire. Max sighed out and decided to join him, Gallade helping him to sit once more. Bonnie joined in on the other side of the fire, saying nothing. Her hands reached over to one of the broken drones and began to tinker with it. Some of the components seemed to still be working well enough, though she had no real idea how to tinker with any of them. In hindsight, the idea of creating any sort of communication device was far beyond her realm of expertise, and seemed to be pretty stupid. Even Rotom would be of little help, the Pokédex clearly deciding to hibernate after her latest threat.

Still, she continued to play with all of the parts, wondering how they could go together to create what she wanted. Dedenne curled up and fell asleep on her lap. On her side, Max seemed to be nodding off, as well. She considered asking him if he knew how to make what she wanted, but given their earlier discussion, decided to completely avoid that. Instead, she frowned, tossed the drone to the side and stared through the still thick smoke at Brock. The doctor was calm, staring up at the stars with a smile on his face.

"What're you thinking about, Brock?" the lemon blonde asked of the doctor. He leaned his head down, smiling at Bonnie.

"What I'll do after we get off this island," Brock answered. Bonnie rather liked that answer, and she noticed that even Max had been awoken by that kind of response. "I know we've got some kind of battle, but…you know, there's more to life than that."

"In other words, you're thinking of your delusions with Aria, right?" Max snickered out. Brock looked at him completely incredulously, throwing another stack of leaves onto the fire to keep it belching its smoke out.

"They aren't delusions at all!" Brock yelled at the younger boy. Bonnie now threw her head back and began to laugh lightly, her shadow dancing in the firelight. Max soon joined her, before Brock also agreed, the whole island ringing out with laughter. As it died down, her eyes caught sight of their downed helicopter, and the poor pilot that Brock had buried at sea that evening. It was like a sobering douse of cold water that ended her peace.

"The real delusion is whether we'll get off here anytime soon. Someone's looking for us, right?" Bonnie asked, but neither of the males had any sort of answer. It made Bonnie sigh. She had to hope that  _someone_  would be searching for them since they hadn't arrived at the Hub. Looking back up to the curdling smoke, Bonnie sighed out.  _Please, someone, see the smoke and come get us._

She didn't expect her wish to be heard so soon.

"RAAAAWR!" the sudden roar pierced the air. Max fell forward while both Brock and Bonnie sprang to their feet. It was a surprise that Croagunk hadn't reacted earlier, still staring at his reflection in the moonlit water, but Bonnie automatically turned her gaze skyward. A slight squelching noise on the sand showed that Squishy was making his way over, somewhat recovered from his earlier actions.

"Are we under attack?" Max asked, reaching up for Gallade. Bonnie got herself into a fighting stance and looked to Brock. However, the doctor didn't seem defensive at all, and Croagunk was still staring at the ocean with interest.

"I know that roar…" the doctor commented, and before Bonnie knew it, she saw a grin begin to split his face. She tilted her head in confusion, looking back up, straight towards the moon, when a shadow suddenly bisected it before shooting straight downwards. The fire rustled in the wind as the shape descended, soon landing atop the sands. The flames went out as the beach billowed outward. Bonnie covered her eyes, making sure nothing would get in them, and when she was sure it had ended, she retracted her arm, only to suddenly find herself in a tight embrace. Moments later, the area was alit with fire again, and Bonnie could see just who was hugging her.

"Big brother!" she shouted, throwing her own arms around Clemont. After that brief moment of embrace, Bonnie stepped back, closer to the fire that the now yawning Charizard had lit, and was able to get a good look at her brother.

Sure as the night was dark, Clemont was standing there, glasses atop his face, joined with a look of exhaustion. However, what Bonnie noticed the most was a burn on the side of his chest. It seemed patched up, if having been hastily done so, but whatever had caused it was also causing Clemont a slight amount of pain as he winced from a breeze traveling through the area. Seeing that, Bonnie stepped forward, her hands reaching out and suddenly squeezing Clemont's face.

"Bonnie, what are you doing that for?" her brother whined, but Bonnie lit up with another great smile and jumped forward to hug him again.

"You're here! You're here! My big brother's here!" Bonnie shouted, jumping up and down with gleeful abandon. Clemont seemed to just take it as Brock approached, walking up to Charizard and tickling him beneath the chin. The inventor turned to him.

"Are you all doing well? It took me a while to find this place, and I think Charizard was getting annoyed…" Clemont laughed out. Hearing that made Bonnie finally let go of her brother, placing her hands behind her back as she smiled at him with radiance. He looked to her, and then reached his hand out, patting his sister on the head.

"This is Ash's Charizard, isn't it? How are you?" Brock asked of the Flame Pokémon. He seemed proud, roaring a gigantic flame into the air with gusto. It certainly seemed like Ash's, all right, not letting any kind of situation get it down. Brock finished his tickling and turned to face Clemont, the happiness on his face replaced with sternness. "Where's Ash, then?"

"Going to Team Rocket's base," was Clemont's answer. He stopped patting Bonnie on the head and walked over towards the fire. Bonnie blinked as Max hobbled over near her. The inventor bent down near one of the drones, placing a hand on top of it. His body shook a bit, and Bonnie could see it and feel it, even from behind: her big brother was infuriated by the use of technology in such a way. It lasted only a moment longer, and he was already making use of his hands, grabbing ahold of the drone and ripping it apart, pulling away certain parts and rather easily discarding the rest. "Seamus and Astrid went with him."

"But Nova Town! Clemont, what happened there?" Bonnie asked, walking across the sand for him. Clemont didn't answer right away, too focused on his work. He had already pulled out all the parts he needed, it seemed, and was tinkering with them in the firelight. Bonnie's body deflated a bit; he was so quiet, like he was thinking about something far beyond where he was. "Clemont…?"

"Sorry," he responded. His head lifted, turning to his sister and smiling apologetically. "We've been…dealing. Nova Town was a mess, and it was our fault. Ash doesn't show it, but it hit him pretty hard that he was unable to protect it…or us."

"You look pretty roughed up," Brock observed. He was now close, as well, while Max hung back. The doctor leaned down and observed Clemont's wound, peeling back the bandage and frowning. "You'll need treatment."

"I know that!" Clemont shouted and Bonnie stumbled back, falling onto the sand again. Clemont once more frowned in apology. "Sorry, it's just…we haven't had the  _time_. By the time me and Seamus had recovered from our injuries, we were already getting news in about the attack on Mount Chimney and Veilstone City…or that was what my League feed was telling me when I listened in. We had to act, and I followed the path you guys took. Listened in on the Aether Foundation, figured out you were going to the Hub and tracked your path. Had to circle around the ocean for a while, but I eventually found this place, and your smoke signal. I'm glad I did."

"Then everyone's okay?" Bonnie asked, hoping for the positive answer. To this, Clemont turned with a smile and nodded. Bonnie let out a breath of relief at that, but soon let her look turn to one that conveyed the news she had to share. Clemont finished piecing together some parts, looking like a transmitter, and Bonnie reached out to grab her brother's shoulder. "Clemont, this Team Rocket thing…I think it's way bigger than that! Squishy told me that-"

"We know," Clemont whispered out. He held his transmitter up high, checking it over in the firelight. Once he seemed pleased with it, he flicked a switch on it. The device lit up green and then he placed it back down. Charizard laid back on the ground, resting upon the sands while Clemont stood. The pain of his burn made him stumble, but Brock propped him up. "Seamus had a theory…something he saw in Nova Town. We don't know if it was part of Team Rocket's plan, but Ash and the others wanted to find out."

"That's not what I'm saying, Clemont," Bonnie yelled at her brother. Clemont finally stopped, looking right at her and listening. "There were these…veins…beneath the ocean, and they were glowing and twisting and they looked sick. And Squishy told me…he told me the world is dying, reaching its end, like it was all set in motion a long time ago."

"What? !" Max exclaimed, but no one else there was willing to respond to him. Clemont's forehead furrowed while he watched his sister and then looked upwards, as if waiting for something that could eventually appear.

"That's new," Clemont finally breathed out. "Was there anything else you saw, Bonnie?"

"Um…just a whole bunch of visions about Arceus and stuff…" Bonnie folded her arms, trying to think of any modicum of information that she could share with her brother. It took a moment of wracking her brain, but she eventually came up with the answer. "Oh, those veins, it was like they were connected with Legendary Pokémon that kept the world in order, but they weren't really connected anymore, either. There were seven of them, and five looked really sick, but the last two were okay."

"Hmm…" Clemont mused out. Bonnie could see the gears turning in her brother's head, like he was reasoning through everything that was told to him. Even Brock and Max had been stunned into silence at hearing what Bonnie had been keeping from them. However, as her brother thought more and more about it, a smile came on to his face. There was also a sound in the distance, over the beating waves of the island. "Well, whatever that all means, I'm sure that Ash and the others will be able to get a little more information, and figure out how Team Rocket is involved with all of this. After all, they're with the three who know that organization best."

"But what can  _we_  do? This is serious, Clemont!" Bonnie yelled, the reality of…well, reality, finally coming back to hit her now that a possibility of escaping the island limbo was here. However, Clemont didn't seem concerned at all. He just grabbed Bonnie and turned her around, facing towards the ocean where a few black shapes were flitting across the stars. In moments, it became obvious what they were: helicopters. Not just any helicopters, either, but very specific ones, considering the very familiar face of her brother's fiancée leaning out of one of the doors.

"We go to the League, so we can plan our counterattack."

* * *

She could smell his hair.

She could touch his skin.

But above all, in that moment, Serena could clasp her husband close to her and kiss him, tasting his lips against hers. The whole world was falling apart, and she was feeling exhausted. She even knew she needed to get back to the base in order to help Dawn out, but being there with Ash, for just a moment, she decided to not care. She savored the moment, and when she finally felt she had impressed those feelings upon him, Serena stepped back, almost stumbling into the narrow canyon wall.

"That was nice," Ash admitted, leaving a bit of a chuckle laced into his words. A shape was falling from the sides of the walls as Decidueye and Pikachu seemed to land on the ground as well, letting a bit of dust swirl around at their feet. Decidueye raised his wing in happy greeting, while Pikachu ran along the ground cheerily.

"Pipika!" he cried out, jumping up and into Serena's arms. She caught her husband's perennial partner and spun around with him in her arms. He looked very happy to see her, and before she knew it, she was hugging him tightly, Pikachu's cheeks pressed up against her own. Ash let out another chuckle at that, and it drew Serena back to where she was in that particular moment. She let go of Pikachu, who dropped down to the ground and scampered over to Ash, heading right up to his shoulder. Ash grinned at him and scratched him behind the ears a bit. Serena's head turned, looking to see that Decidueye was testing the sides of the canyon walls, clearly trying to see if he could climb up them.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Serena. That was a pretty close one there," Ash sighed out. He reached up and adjusted his hat a bit while Serena watched him. Her heart and body felt so many emotions, she was certain that she was about to burst with them. From relief, to joy, to love…and finally, to annoyance.

"Pretty close?" she finally snapped, though it wasn't in anger. She stepped forward, causing Ash to look at her with complete alarm. In a moment, she'd grabbed hold of his shoulders and pushed him up against the wall of the canyon. It hadn't been that hard, given the very narrow space they were in. Pikachu narrowly avoided making contact with the walls, himself. "Ash Ketchum, that was more than pretty close! Where have you been? ! And why didn't you contact me sooner? !"

Ash blinked at her demands, and for a second, she thought he would either laugh it off or deny her the responses. He did neither, however, leaning forward to peck her on the lips. She now blinked, surprised at the action, which gave Ash the chance to look towards the top of the canyon. Serena followed his gaze, finding it to be a very long way to the top. In the distance, loud rumbles were heard, but not much else, even if she could ascertain their direction. Her own distraction allowed Ash to push her away, their wedding bands clinking together as his hand removed itself from her body.

"Sorry," Ash told her, looking more apologetic than ever. Her lips twisted a bit, but she eventually dropped them into a smile as she shook her head. There was no way she could stay mad at such earnestness for long. Indeed, she dropped her standoffish body language and looked to her husband in relief, wishing she could hug and kiss him all over again. "It's a long story…and we don't have a lot of time, huh?"

"Talk as we walk?" Serena suggested. Her finger lifted, pointing down the narrow path, away from the sharp rocks that were clearly un-traversable (something Decidueye and Pikachu made plain as they tried to climb over them but found themselves unable to do). Ash followed the line of her finger, tilting his head as he thought. He must have quickly realized that she was pointing towards the direction of Team Rocket's base, because he quickly nodded and took her hand in his, their fingers interlocking.

"Come on, Pikachu, Decidueye!" Ash called back to his partners. The two heard him and swiftly made their way back over. Ash reached into the miraculously intact backpack of his and tossed a berry to Decidueye, who munched on it happily. Serena watched the two of them, and a first question came to her mind.

"Where's Charizard? I thought you took him to the tournament with you, right? Him, Greninja, Infernape, Krookodile and those two, right?" Serena asked. Ash nodded, their footsteps echoing across the dry canyon. It reminded Serena of the time she had gone through a similar area before the big battle with Team Skull. This time, however, there didn't seem to be an ambush waiting.

"I lent him to Clemont…something about Bonnie being missing…I think," Ash answered. An arch of stone passed over their heads. "I was paying more attention to getting here. So, if you were wondering why we're walking, that's why! Well, and Latias is busy up above."

"Latias, hm?" Serena questioned. "Guess we can't get out by going up, then?"

"Sorry…I let Seamus go with her to chase after that helicopter from Team Rocket and that woman," Ash admitted. He continued to look apologetic, but Serena squeezed his hand to assure him that everything was okay. She just wanted to know more about how he had gotten here now that he was. "Could have sworn that Mist Ball or Psyshock hit her, but she must have just barely avoided it when I was aiming for you. Who was on the helicopter?"

"Giovanni…leader of Team Rocket," Serena answered him. He stopped his movement. A cloud slid across the moon, casting them into near complete darkness. She could feel his hand shaking in hers, and she knew the emotion as one of bubbling rage.

"So…he's the one behind this, then? Behind Lionel…he's the one who made Jessie and James…" Ash sucked in a breath here and exhaled loudly, steadying his feelings. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," was Serena's definitive answer. That made him relax, but he stilled seemed tense. Serena reached up, cupping his face with her free hand. "I'm okay. He had more pressing things on his mind."

"I'd imagine," Ash said with a light spit. His own free hand reached up to clasp hers, smiling as the moon came back out again. After another breath, he turned them back along the path, towards the site of the large base that was lighting up in the distance from the explosions. "As long as you're okay, I'm happy…but he's got a lot to answer for!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed. Serena could sense that righteous anger pulsing through all of them (except for, maybe, Decidueye, who was still joyously eating his berry), and already she could feel the building confrontation.

"Ash, he's not here, you know," she pointed out. He looked to her, dropping the intensity from his face and patting the top of his head with his hand. Ash nodded, the couple continuing on. "So, Nova Town…what happened? If you don't mind sharing."

"Of course not," Ash said, his eyes wide. That made her giggle. "So, uh…we all went to Nova Town: me, Clemont, Seamus and Astrid."

"I know that part," Serena pointed out to him. She wouldn't have been here if she didn't, of course, and Ash nodded, realizing he needed to move on to the parts that actually mattered.

"Right. Well, there was the guy who tried to blow up the town, and we fought him. We won and all, but it was like he had this backup plan, and we couldn't move. While we couldn't, his Camerupt blew up the entire town. I barely had enough time to call Latias to me before the whole thing was wiped away. Not that we got out without a scratch. Clemont got burned on the side, and Seamus' shoulder was hit by some of the debris in our escape. Plus, the guy, Toll, had roughed him up pretty bad."

"Is he okay? !" Serena asked in worry. Ash nodded, looking up at the night sky. There were no shapes there, and Serena had to assume that the companions Ash had arrived with were continuing to carefully pursue their quarry.

"It was rough, at first, pulling out of Nova Town," Ash sighed out. Pikachu jumped to his shoulder, looking rather sad. "We barely got out and to a safe distance to recover. Astrid set out on first aid immediately, but we didn't exactly have the tools."

"So, why didn't you show back up earlier?" she asked of him. Her husband shook his head now.

"Didn't really have much of a choice. With Clemont in bad condition but pushing through it, and Seamus freaking out over something he saw in Nova Town, showing back up would have complicated matters…well, that's what we thought, especially with the news…until Jessie and James showed up, at least," Ash admitted. Serena tilted her head; she'd no idea that her rival had arrived here, but from Ash's words, she had to guess that the older woman had. "We thought we were done for, but…"

"But…?' Serena encouraged him.

"Turns out they were looking for us…on Team Rocket orders," Ash told her. She felt her own body deflate, remembering that rather unfortunate fact. "They didn't know why, though. All they said was 'there's no way we're handing the twerp over and not Pikachu, so the orders make no sense'. Not that I worried or anything. Seems they were following us everywhere for weeks, right Pikachu?"

"Chuu…" Pikachu agreed with his own labored sigh. Serena couldn't help but bubble out with a giggle at that one. It did bring up the question in her mind, however.

"Why, though?" Ash shrugged, but still went on to provide the answer.

"Like I said, Giovanni had ordered them to, but they didn't want to. Something about ARC and wanting to see if I knew why their boss wanted me. I'd have assumed something like Greninja, but that makes no sense, since they could have just done so earlier, right?" Serena couldn't find fault with that logic. The base was looming closer now, widening Serena's eyes with how bright it was from the flames in the nighttime. "Anyway, with their help, we patched Clemont and Seamus up, and then we tried to figure out what was going on. Didn't take long after sending Latias out to hear about what happened on Mount Chimney and Veilstone City. Latias also heard you had jumped on a Team Rocket ship…or that was what Meowth translated.

"Once we knew all that we did, we decided to split up. Clemont and Charizard went to Mount Chimney, and Jessie and James agreed to bring us here, to their base. I'm just glad I got here in time, to be honest," Ash finally sighed out. It seemed a somewhat mundane explanation, but one that made sense. The only surprising part was the fact that Jessie, James and Meowth had deliberately led Ash to their very own stronghold, and not as a prize for their boss. Ash seemed to agree with this, because he explained. "Guess they had conflicting missions: deliver info on Team Rocket for ARC, and then capture me for Team Rocket."

"Didn't even know they worked for ARC…"

"You and me, both…that was a surprise," Ash laughed out. His hand let go of hers now, and she was fine with it, watching him throw them behind his head. "Wasn't sure if I could believe them at first, and Astrid was ready to Mega Evolve and blast them off right then and there. Usually it wouldn't be a problem, but with the enemy being Team Rocket, itself…well, I guess they didn't like the idea of their boss killing off a lot of people."

"No, I'd imagine they wouldn't," Serena agreed. She knew more than enough of Jessie to know that a world where so many of her fans died wouldn't be a good world to her. "Well, I'm grateful, then. They brought you here."

"Would have been here sooner, but all the damage we took on at Nova Town didn't help," Ash sighed out, dropping his hands. The path before them began to widen. "Now, Seamus is after the helicopter, Astrid descended for the base after Team Rocket got here ahead of us, and I'm here. It's kinda confusing…"

"Pikapi…" Pikachu sighed, shaking his head. Serena didn't mind; knowing that he, and the others, were okay and had done their utmost to help others was a blessing in and of itself. The sounds of whatever was going on at the base were closer now, almost looming directly above them in a wholly sinister fashion. Yet there was light in the canyon, glowing eerily upon the walls surrounding them. "Chu!"

"Koo…" Decidueye hooted, ruffling his feathers in agitation. Ash's stance changed as well, and Serena knew they had felt or sensed something in the air. Even she was starting to feel it with every step. The air was growing heavier, and not nearly so closed in. She breathed outward, hand reaching for Braixen's pokeball before things could intervene, while Pikachu and Decidueye moved to be the vanguard.

The closer that Serena and Ash got to the open area, the more the colors became plain: five shifting colors that appeared to dance on the surface of the canyon walls. There was a shadow above, seemingly for a moment, but it set Serena further on edge. Among the colors and shadow were other noises: scuttling and skittering. They weren't alone in the canyon.

After a moment more of walking, the couple emerged into the wide-open area, where the color and light were the brightest. Serena's eyes narrowed in skepticism; hanging in front of them was the meteonite.

"What is that?" Ash asked, his tone dark and demanding.

"The meteonite," Serena answered. Ash's expression didn't change at the answer, while something moved in the shadows cast by the five colors. "I don't know exactly what it is, but it's part of Team Rocket's plan. The only different thing I've heard it called has been 'the Alpha'."

"So, it's the thing Team Rocket is using to hurt people…"

"I don't think so," Serena answered him. He looked at her, confusion once again settling into his features. "I saw them…I saw them take the meteonite, shining just like this, with them on their mission. I tried to stop them, but failed. So, I…I don't understand what it's doing here, or  _why_  it's here."

"Because what you saw those incompetent Rocket fools take was  _a_  meteonite, and not the Alpha that Doctor Zager believed it to be," a voice spoke from the shadows. Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and Decidueye readied an arrow swiftly. The owner of the voice was moving now, coming around from behind the floating meteonite, its colors dimming a little bit. "Just a copy we created with a rather special stone for resonance, like they used to obtain the artifact in the first place. All while we secured the true one for our own designs."

"Alastair," Serena sneered out, venom dripping from her voice at the sight of the man. Standing before the meteonite was the man that had engaged her multiple times, his body turned at an angle towards her to observe the couple. Ash stepped forward now, throwing his fist up.

"So, Team Rocket was tricked by you? Their plan is going to fail?" Alastair gave no answer, and no expression along with it. He just watched the couple with his right eye as his Aegislash floated before him. His hand tapped at his thigh, and the sounds from earlier increased. "Just who are you?"

"We are the shadows," Alastair announced. "The shadows that were the shields for so long and now are but the swords, culling a new world. A perfect world. An  _ideal_  world.

"A world in which you belong, but I cannot have you be in." Then Alastair's fingers reached up and snapped loudly. Eyes gleamed in the darkness, and Ash and Serena drew close to one another, backs against each other as Braixen appeared. Pokémon began stalking out, from Ariados to Golem and all manner of Pokémon in between. Serena shot a look to the expressionless Alastair, nothing showing in the blank eye she could see while he turned away. The Pokémon jumped into battle against them, and from the side, a ribbon of green appeared around the meteonite.

* * *

The snow that day on Mount Lanakila was falling thickly. It was so thick that, under the veil of night, it made the skies surrounding the frigid peak seem like a sheet of white that no one or nothing could pass through. It was into this thick snow that Gary stepped out, clutching to a scarf around his neck with a shiver. Steven was next to him, tapping on the partition of glass in the helicopter that told it to find a safer place to land.

"Champion Steven! Professor Oak!" yelled the voice of Burnet, making Gary turn in its direction. Through the thick snow, in her white winter apparel, Gary could barely see the form of the professor in that moment. He just raised his hand in what he assumed was her general direction while the wind whipped around them, the helicopter taking off to some other area of the mountain. "Glad you could make it through the thick snow here!"

"We have expert pilots," Steven yelled over the howling. There was a crunching noise of footsteps on the snow, and the form of Burnet finally became visible, holding a hood to cover her grin. "Have you started on any research here yet?"

"Didn't have the chance. Just finished setting things up in the Center," Burnet yelled back. Gary grimaced, the wind cutting at his face, and decided to not say anything. Instead, he chose to follow after both Steven and Burnet, who had turned in the direction of the Center. The snow lightened just a little bit, but not much, and the young researcher was forced to rely on the approaching lights beyond the backs of his companions. It was, thankfully, not that long of a trip before they arrived at the Center, entering in to where quite a few researchers and other members of the Aether Foundation had taken over the space. With them were two other familiar faces in the form of the Elite Four member, Kahili, and the man that Gary had recognized as Guzma. "Woo! It's cold out there! And my hubby isn't here to warm me up right now!"

"It's nighttime, prof," Guzma said. Gary looked at the older man, arms folded with a scowl. The brunet had to figure he must have been frozen, dressed up in little more than his usual clothing. "'Course it's cold."

"Better not be complaining," Kahili snapped at the man, pulling her own periwinkle blue jacket around herself as she stepped over to Steven. Gary placed his things down and approached a bulletin board that Burnet had looked to set up. There were various diagrams there, and shots of the regional maps, each with a mark and a different color upon it. He knew all too well what those were about. "Champion, we've been hearing the rumors. Mind filling us Alolans in?"

"If I could. We're still struggling to play catchup ourselves," Steven admitted with a nervous chuckle. Gary didn't deny that, but he chose to ignore any further conversation regarding the matter. He examined the board closely as Burnet shed her coat off and tied her hair back, as well.

"Have any theories?" Gary decided to ask of the professor, but she didn't answer. He continued looking at the maps, noticing how the colors were all marked over specific regions, like there was one for each, in a way. Of course, the researcher knew there were far more than just seven regions in the world, so he could only guess as to the reason it was  _those_  seven that were chosen. "I'm going to guess you do, or you wouldn't have directed us here."

"More a musing and hypothesis, but that's what we researchers do, correct?" Burnet said to him. She leaned in towards the board alongside Gary. "Really, my first point is why I chose Lanakila: the celestial. Stands to reason that meteorites are buried beneath the surface here, right? I have a feeling all of this has to do with that. I mean, dimensions have been tied to the meteors in the past, according to your own research, right?"

"Sure," Gary responded with, straightening himself once again. Glancing over to the professor, he regarded her carefully. "And your second point?"

"Why these regions?" Burnet asked. It was the same exact one he had asked himself just moments ago, but Burnet went on to elaborate about why she was asking. "What does each of these regions, more or less, have in common?"

"Clearly, meteorites," Gary drawled out. That made a chuckle and laughter bubble out from Burnet, but she shook her head. The brunet gave it some thought, staring at the map, and the answer became all too obvious with a scowl. "Tipping points. Each one has passed a tipping point."

"Devastation, in other words," Burnet informed him, holding a finger up. It made sense to Gary, and he waited for the rest of Burnet's hypothesis. "You once theorized long ago that the seal on the Ultra Space was weakened because the ties to the other meteorites and the alternate dimensions were severed, correct? Well, eight years ago we then severed the connection with the Ultra Space."

"You're thinking that maybe doing so was a bad thing?" Burnet shook her head while Gary scratched at his chin. He sighed. "All of my research into the meteorites never revealed such a thing."

"Nor did mine, so I can't believe it," Burnet followed up with. The others in the Center seemed to have settled into their own discussions now, while the snow outside appeared to lighten a little. Guzma, in his boredom, was making a clanking noise against the Center's windows. "However, I wonder if the tipping points were connected in that way. Like…when we came close to one, our world borrowed a bit from the world that was about to die, in the same vein as the Ultra Space absorbed those dead worlds. Not the same principle of course, but more like…instinct, rather than malice."

"Wait, let me get this straight," Gary said, holding a hand out as he tried to consider every angle here. "You're saying that with the meteorites tied to other dimensions, our world used, or shared, some energy between dimensions to keep on going…but now that those gates are completely closed, the world is compensating, which is why the meteorites are glowing."

"You were in Ancien City nine years ago, correct?" Burnet asked him. His lips disappeared into a thin line as he listened to her. She wasn't wrong, naturally, and he understood exactly what she was getting at, even if the implications of what he didn't want to hear were staring him in the face. "Right there, the devastation wrought upon that city led to dimensions being torn. Every major act of bloodshed and devastation in history has led to some fracturing of reality, as you well know. So, why haven't the meteorites activated until now?

"Because now there's nothing left to compensate."

"But then, what do you think it all means? Is the world trying to restore the connection? Call a legendary Pokémon in the way that Rayquaza was called?" Gary asked. To this, Burnet had no choice but to shake her head. It made a sigh escape from Gary's lips. They really weren't that much closer to answers, especially when the only way to gather answers would be there to witness the activation of the meteorites…which was something he truly  _didn't_  want to see. That loss of human and Pokémon life would be an atrocity. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see what answers we can find."

"Yeah, you guys go an' do that," Guzma said from near the window. Gary hadn't noticed it before, but the clanking from him had completely stopped just a minute before. The brunet turned to him, seeing that the snow was light enough to be visible through now, though not gone entirely. Instead, it was replaced by a bevy of lights in the sky, heading right for the summit. "Whatever yer gonna do, make it fast…We got some real company here."

Unfortunately, it seemed as though they would be getting their answer sooner than they had ever thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, this was an informative chapter. We find out what went on with Ash's absence, why TRio struck against Team Rocket, reunited a whole bunch of parties and ended up filling some gaps in. Some of the fun in this story so far has been arc welding: taking those events from the whole series and weaving them together to explain what's going on here. Though Lance's conversation remains enigmatic as to who "they" are, even if it may be easy enough to guess. And Gary and Burnet's conversation certainly spells some terrible portents for the world at large.
> 
> You're all amazing, and I hope this story is just as amazing for you. So, until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	14. An Ideal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This definitely hasn't been as popular as the Alola Trilogy. I kind of wonder why…Well, I hope those reviews and views and stuff start picking up as we barrel towards more intense plot! On to Chapter 14!

Chapter 14

An Ideal

Cinders passed through the air as the explosion consumed the remaining parts of the lower lab at Team Rocket's base. Dawn gripped to Piplup, the heat of the room nearly unbearable, as was the pain of bending her broken arm inward. Her eyes were practically seared shut from the heat that was in the laboratory, and she could hear Jessie, James and Meowth screaming as they hugged their Pokémon. Tears involuntarily leaked from her eyes, and she could feel Piplup's own on her skin.

"Giga Impact!" A loud roar followed, the room suddenly shuddering as something slammed into the room, bursting through the floor. There was a sudden grunt, and another command was called over the raging inferno. Dawn didn't hear it, but she figured out what it was rather quickly as the heat and blasting fires around her, and the little that remained of Team Rocket, stopped firing all over the place. She dared to open her eyes.

"Astrid!" she shouted, her croaky voice making it sound horribly distorted. Standing there, barely protected from the flames around her, was Astrid, standing tall with a Pyroar by her side, shaking its fiery mane. Out of all those there, the majestic Pokémon looked the least affected by the temperature, staring ahead at the opponents before them, pawing at the ground.

"Blonde twerpette!" Jessie, James and Meowth yelled out together, even Wobbuffet joining in. Jessie was the only one to continue on. "I thought you were chasing after the helicopters. Why are you back here?"

"Like I was going to abandon some of my friends," Astrid spat out, as though she found the concept to be absolutely absurd. Dawn clutched Piplup tighter while Astrid turned her body, lips forming into a scowl as she faced the opponents in front of them. A body dropped to the ground, smoking, and Dawn had no doubt as to who it was, the scientist's remains curdling with the acrid smell of the smoke. Her stomach churned inside. "How many more people have you been responsible for killing, Toll?"

"You are?" the gravelly voice of Toll called out, and Dawn could once more see the shadowy figures emerging from the licking flames. They looked unharmed, other than a bruise on Toll's face, like that was where Pyroar had struck earlier. Louise was next to him, Beedrill buzzing about menacingly. Neither of the two Pillars said a word, with Camerupt only walking forward slowly and silently.

"Your new enemy," Astrid snapped. "Flamethrower!"

"Fell Stinger," Louise called. Beedrill spun around, still Mega Evolved, and aimed right for Pyroar. Astrid didn't move a muscle as her Pokémon opened his maw and sent forth a jutting flame that flew right for the Pokémon. Beedrill shot into the flame, cutting against it.

"Bite it," Astrid yelled. Her body turned, giving Dawn a better profile. The happy-go-lucky Astrid that she had always known was gone, replaced with a fierce determination and pragmatism. As Beedrill approached her Pyroar, the lion's fangs were wreathed with flame and he chomped down upon it. With a tossing of his head, Beedrill was sent careening into Camerupt. Toll barely reacted, like it wasn't worth his time. "You guys, take Dawn and get out of here!"

"What are you talking about blonde twerpette!" Jessie shouted, coming to stand. James and Meowth didn't seem to have any problem disobeying, scrambling back. The second they reached her, Dawn felt her body being lifted up by James, and supported by Wobbuffet. "You're not seriously thinking of taking these two on by yourself, are you? ! They blew up the entire base on their own!"

"I'm aware, so stop leaving her in the line of fire! She's injured!" Astrid yelled back, gripping another pokeball and calling Absol forth. That made Dawn glad to see; she certainly wasn't taking any chances in this battle.

"And you?" James asked, a nervous chuckle laced into his voice. Beedrill was up and buzzing again while Toll gripped to a keystone, Camerupt beginning to transform. Dawn watched Astrid as she breathed in, Pyroar beginning to back up like a guardian. Toll and Louise surveyed Astrid, evident as the biggest threat.

"I'll buy you time. Come and get me."

"I don't think so. Fire," Louise spoke. The drones surrounding her figure armed themselves, pointing right for Absol. Then they fired out small missiles. "You see, we need every drop of blood spilled. If you walked in here willingly, that includes yours. So, please don't make us take too long; we have other things to set up and make sure they go off without a hitch."

"Well, I have no intention of dying. Dark Pulse!" Absol shot up, the missiles impacting with the floor. Astrid stepped back, careful to avoid the crumbling structure while Absol struck. His Dark Pulse traveled out, inky and undulating as it scraped along the ground, before slamming into one of the drones. It was sent veering off course, for the open door, where a few Rocket survivors were stumbling through. They avoided the drone that exploded just beyond them, but it seemed to allow Toll to catch sight of them. Astrid threw her voice back. "Go, you idiots! This place will collapse at any time!"

"And you all will be buried with it! Eruption!" Toll pressed his foot to the ground while Dawn now felt her body being lifted up by Jessie as well. Clearly Astrid's declaration on the state of the base had convinced her. The ground began to glow red hot as Pyroar reached their small group, bringing up yet another shield. Fire and magma exploded from beneath the ground, consuming the Rocket members near the door and making their own, retreating group flinch. Their own group was protected, and that seemed to be the sign to get moving.

"You better stay alive long enough, blonde twerpette!" Jessie shouted. Then, she and James wheeled Dawn around and began running for one of the holes in the wall, farther away than Dawn would have anticipated. Pyroar seemed to return to the fray of battle. "You two better be on procuring us transportation!"

"Stop screechin', Jess! We're on it!" Meowth shouted. James was clearly in agreement, reaching into one of his pants' pockets to pull out a small device. The action made them stumble, though not nearly as much as Dawn's look back, where a Psycho Cut sliced across the ground, giving Astrid some distance from her foes as Pyroar protected his trainer. She gripped to her earring, and light blasted from Absol as their retreating group continued to run. James tossed the remote to Meowth, who was pressing buttons. "Remote control balloon, on da way."

"Let's just hope we don't get blown up before then!" Jessie pointed out snappishly. James chuckled nervously and he, too, looked back. Dawn could feel the somber emotion in his veins, as though saying goodbye to a past that was long since a part of him. He wasn't alone, either, with even Jessie's own tense body radiating that. They may not have faced their boss, but they had certainly delivered their resignation to him.

With what strength she had, Dawn squeezed both of their hands.

Another explosion ripped through the air behind them, nearly tossing them off their feet. Thanks to Wobbuffet, they managed to all stay stable, and continued their running for the hole in the wall. Dawn felt her vision fading from pain, and Piplup slapped his flipper on her face to wake her up. There was a dark shape behind the wall, obscuring the moonlight. "How did you…get here unnoticed…?"

"We have our ways, twerpette," James pointed out. "Or, really, we floated in through the front door."

"Or what's left of it," Meowth grumbled out. Jessie, for all her usual loudmouth outbursts, didn't say anything. They were nearly to the wall, that bid for freedom just beyond them. The shape finished floating upwards, and Dawn let out a rather strangled laugh. That balloon just kept on showing up time and again. "We always got stock on hand at da base."

"Before, it would have been to get multiple agents out, in case the jets were compromised…that's obviously not an issue," James pointed out. Dawn didn't care much; the blurring feeling was beginning to return once again to her as they reached the wall. Meowth and Wobbuffet were the first to jump forward, landing in the balloon basket…or falling into it, in Wobbuffet's case. Another explosion rocked the room.

"Get in, twerpette! We don't have time with this whole place crumbling around them." Dawn felt a hand on her back, pushing her forward. She exuded a gasp of pain and fell into the basket before she could even think. When she hit the bottom, she gripped her arm, whimpering from it, but holding fast. Jessie and James soon jumped into the balloon, the former stamping her foot atop Meowth's head. "Get moving, Meowth!"

"Get the blonde twerpette out!"

"Shut yo mouths!" Meowth snapped at them, whipping his claws out to get Jessie away from him. Then he extended the remote controls and began to blow the balloon upwards. It also happened to push it away from the base. With a grunt, Dawn pushed herself up to look at the crumbling base. "Dat just ain't right…"

"Our old home…" James lamented. Jessie seemed to be shaking, grabbing the remote control from Meowth and steering the balloon away while they all remained looking up at it.

Team Rocket's base was all but gone, Dawn realized. Flames had engulfed it, licking the sides, while pieces of metal and stone fell away from the base. Those helicopters and airships left behind were burning in it all. As they moved around the building, towards a hole that Astrid could jump through, Dawn noticed that the base itself remained on precarious ground, like another explosion would send it well over its edge. There was a loud noise on the side opposite the base, like a strong wind going downwards, but Dawn attempted to ignore it. The sounds of battle were getting louder again.

"Shadow Claw, Absol!" Astrid's voice was yelling. They were rounding the corner now, the bright lights of the flames visible through the hole in the wall, illuminating everything in the canyon's space. A loud roar sounded out, and Absol seemed to have made contact with something, only for it to whine out, hit by a different attack.

"Blonde twerpette, side wall, now!" Jessie yelled, clearly not wanting to spend any more time there than was necessary. The balloon finished maneuvering and was within spitting distance of the wall, but wasn't slowing down. Astrid was soon visible, turning her head.

"Absol, Psycho Cut! Buy us some distance!"

"You, too, Inkay!" James yelled over the side. Absol leapt back, his horn glowing a bright purple before slicing forward, the sickle arching through the air. Inkay slid right into it from midair, sending a Psybeam out that formed a separate wall from attacks. Astrid began to run, tossing looks back at Toll and Louise, the two Pillars turning right in her direction.

"Explosion," Toll said, a leering grin blooming on his face. Dawn felt herself shudder, especially when a few more drones were armed and firing out more missiles. Only, these seemed different, like they were more thinking than the others. "We already told you. No one leaves here alive. No one interferes. Not while  _she's_  on the field at Lanakila."

Astrid stopped right at the edge of the open wall, leaning back with a smirk. "Is that right? Then, we'll just have to keep interfering until you make us stop. Now, move!"

At those words, Astrid recalled her Absol and Pyroar, both, (the former reverted form quickly before she did so) and dove into the basket. Jessie pressed on the big red button of the controls. There was a light shuddering, and then rockets burst from the balloon and shot away from the building. The missiles followed. Dawn gripped to the edge with one arm, looking back to see that Toll and Louise had approached the edge. Beedrill was following, while a bright light showed Camerupt glowing behind in the base. Silhouetted by the firelight, the two Pillars looked menacing, as though melting into the shadows. There was something else there, briefly appearing in the firelight, and then it was like they vanished. Beedrill and the missiles, however, remained.

"Meowth, take over! Gourgeist, Seed Bomb!" Jessie shouted, tossing the controls to Meowth. He grumbled a bit, but took command, jerking the balloon to the side. Dawn continued gripping the sides, while the exhausted Piplup hopped up to the edge of the balloon.

"Bubblebeam!" she coughed out. Piplup obeyed, sending the thick stream of bubbles for one of the missiles. It attempted to avoid it, but before long was trapped by Inkay's Psybeam. More were taken down by Seed Bomb. Beedrill was drawing close. "Jessie, hold that Beedrill in place!"

"I don't take orders from you, twerpette! Leech Seed!"

"Geist!" Gourgeist called out, shooting out one of her shining seeds. In the mask of night, it managed to hit Beedrill, entangling its wings, if only for a moment. That was enough. Piplup summoned a large whirlpool and sent it firing out, catching the remaining missiles and making them all collide with Beedrill. It took a moment, but soon they all exploded, while their balloon made it away from the danger zone. Dawn sighed out, and looked back at the base. A chain explosion was going off, rocking the canyon walls. If there had been any survivors before, there weren't now. Astrid huffed.

"That was close. I wasn't fighting to win, but even with Absol Mega Evolved, those two would have destroyed me before long," the blonde commented, falling back a bit. The balloon slowed, now that they were safe. In the darkness, it was impossible to tell where Beedrill had gone, but Dawn only cared that it wasn't following them. "Who were they?"

"Hmm…could have been the Pillars," James noted, tapping his chin. "This expert force of the…er, ex-boss. They were usually stuck to high tier missions, or information gathering, so we didn't know much of them."

"Well, whoever they are, they just blew up the entire base like it was paper!" Jessie snarled incredulously. Dawn slid down the balloon, letting her broken arm rest. At least they had gotten out alive. "How many of our old comrades do you think…?"

"Right now, that's irrelevant," Astrid snapped. She strode over to stand next to Dawn, no doubt looking at the collapsing building. "Ash must have gone after Serena…if they're anywhere in the canyon passes below, they'll be in danger of that base collapsing, and trust me…with whatever these psychos are planning, we're going to need him."

"Twerp rescue it is, then," James called out, turning the balloon around again as the groaning and cracking of Team Rocket's base echoed across the canyon. Dawn closed her eyes, breathing out. Mount Lanakila. That was their next strike. And with everything beginning to fall apart, she could only imagine what was waiting for them at the most vaunted place of Alola's history. All Dawn could do was breathe out, hoping they could get to Ash before any more tragedies happened.

* * *

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Decidueye, Frenzy Plant!"

"Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena and Ash's backs pressed up against each other while their Pokémon sprang into action. It was a welcome comfort to Ash, even if this wasn't exactly the best moment for him to be thinking of that sort of thing. He couldn't deny that he took encouragement from his wife right next to him, though; her warming presence fighting alongside him.

Plants burst from the ground, slamming into the Golem and Graveler all around them and knocking them into the walls. It wasn't something Ash usually preferred in terms of action with wild Pokémon, usually liking to talk things out, but these Pokémon weren't normal. They were more like…more like the Dragon types that had attacked so long ago in Ancien City, but more controlled and direct. While those Pokémon had been on a rampage, pure and simple, these Pokémon were far more methodical and orderly in their movements. Pikachu's Thunderbolt seared outward, combining with Braixen's Flamethrower to slam into a flock of Pidgeotto and Fearow.

"They keep coming," Serena breathed out. Ash didn't disagree with that in the slightest. The Pokémon that had been waiting for them in the wings seemed almost endless, and Serena was already looking tired, if pushing on. She reached a hand up, wiping at her eyes, and Ash could see the extremely tired look under her eyes. She clearly hadn't been sleeping lately…or at least since his disappearance.

"Go, Decidueye!" Ash yelled. His stalwart Pokémon vanished into the Frenzy Plant that remained. There was a brief moment of silence, and then a loud slashing noise as the Arrow Quill Pokémon began slicing through the opponents in front of them with his leafy blades. Pikachu skidded back along the ground. "Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu pika!" Pikachu cried, stiffening his tail with a bright light before swinging it around into yet another Golem. That attack sent it rolling backwards, like a bowling ball. It collided with some of the other Pokémon there, but in the dancing colors and the nighttime's darkness, it was impossible to tell just what he had hit or how many of them were there. Even if he could tell, though, they were filled in almost immediately.

"This is getting us nowhere, Ash," Serena sighed out loudly. Her back fell away from his, hands falling to her knees as she seemed to catch her breath. Ash became worried, but as a Skarmory dove down upon them, he figured it was more important to deal with the immediate attack than whatever was ailing Serena. He could deal with that when they were safe. He threw his hand out.

"Pikachu! Electro Ball!" Pikachu bounded up from the ground, his tail crackling with electricity before he flung it at the Skarmory. That Skarmory wheeled off through the air upon impact and slammed into a different group of enemies. That parting of the Pokémon revealed the meteonite resting just beyond. More importantly to Ash, though, was the man standing just past it, waiting. It seemed almost baffling that he remained standing there. "Serena, I know it looks like a lot, but right now we're here, so we can't just-"

"I know," she breathed out, pulling herself back to a standing position as Braixen sent her flaming star of Fire Blast outwards. One of the Bellossom there was driven into the wall, and the ground was beginning to rumble fiercely. "The meteonite…if that's the real one, we need to get Alastair away from it."

"Of course," Ash insisted, reaching back and flipping his hat around with a determined smirk. Serena seemed to gather her strength from that, smoothing her clothing as she drew herself to her full height. Braixen seemed rather pleased at that, twirling her wand around and drawing it close. "We'll have to clear the path, somehow, though. You ready to do this, together?"

"You never need to ask, Ash," Serena pointed out. He laughed out a bit, joining his hand with his wife's. Like always, it fit so nicely, and he pointed forward alongside his second longtime partner. Both were ready to act.

"Decidueye, protect our backs! Pikachu, combo time!" Ash yelled back to his two partners. Decidueye flapped his wings out, disappearing and reappearing behind them, his shadowy arrow drawn. Pikachu, meanwhile, ran forward to join by Braixen's side. The Fox Pokémon held her wand out, which Pikachu jumped on to. Ash and Serena, their fists clasped, thrust them forward.

"Psybolt!" They called together. At the tip of Braixen's wand formed the purple glow of a Psyshock that burst out. At the same moment, Pikachu summoned his electricity to his sacs and sent it flying outward, joining with the Psyshock. The purple and yellow projectile continued onward, twisting together like a gigantic screw that impaled the mess of Pokémon before them. It exploded, creating somewhat of a path in front of them, though still replete with foes. Ash let go of Serena's hand and looked back to see Decidueye finish pinning some enemies behind him with his arrows.

"Decidueye, your turn," Ash called back now, reaching up and crossing his fists. Decidueye hooted loudly, leaping backwards while twisting his body to face forward. Power surrounded him, a ghostly green in nature. Pikachu switched with him, defending their flank with a speedy use of Quick Attack, followed up by a couple Electro Balls. Ash brought his arms down to his sides and began to lift them up, like some ghostly marionette that Decidueye imitated. The light burst. "Sinister Arrow Raid!"

"Kooroooooo!" Decidueye trilled, flapping his wings widely outward. Arrows appeared like specters in the night, and Ash thrust his palm forward. As he did so, the arrows fired outwards, peppering the Pokémon before them. Decidueye leapt upwards, hovering slightly in the air before blasting forward, the arrows surrounding his figure before he crashed into the enemies. From his force alone, the sea of Pokémon was split in two. Ash looked to Serena and they nodded, dashing in before the gap could be filled back in. "Koooorrrr…"

"Cut it apart," Alastair's cold voice called out, almost barking in nature. Ash picked up his speed, clasping to his wife's hand as he did so. The image of what was going on now became much clearer, the closer they got. Decidueye's Z-Move was straining against Aegislash and its shield. That was only a moment, however, as the light faded from Decidueye and he was pushed back. In a flash, Aegislash had unsheathed itself and was aiming straight for Decidueye.

"Leaf Blade!" Ash yelled. Decidueye leapt out of the range of the screaming, shadowy sword, drawing his own blades. The green swords whirled forward, coming to meet with Aegislash and straining against it. He sliced up with his other blade, breaking away the strike and spinning around to strike at the sword again. Ash let go of Serena's hand, his wife pulling herself to a stop. Ash didn't stop, though, instead running right for Alastair, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Acrobatics!"

"Koorai!" Decidueye called. He dismissed his blades and kicked upwards, glowing a light turquoise blue. Ash reached Alastair and did the same, kicking right up for the man. Alastair turned his body to the left and moved aside, dodging the kick. It was a miniscule action, but enough to make the kick miss. Ash wasn't done, though, pivoting his body to send his leg soaring outwards. Decidueye slammed into Aegislash, only to find his talon blocked by the Royal Sword Pokémon's shield. Alastair lowered his elbow, blocking against Ash's kick.

"No," Ash grunted out. He put force behind his kick, managing to separate himself from Alastair and jumping back to be by Serena's side. There was a small force near his face as he did so, leaning away as a result of it. His wife looked at him with an odd expression. "He's not normal…"

"What do you mean?" Serena asked in a low voice, as if she didn't want to be overheard. Decidueye separated from Aegislash. Ash reached up, rubbing at his lip, and feeling a light bruise upon it. That made him frown.

"He hit me while I was getting away," Ash commented. Serena didn't react, now focusing her vision squarely on Alastair, himself. The man was still facing them with his right side, guarding the meteonite hanging above them. "We'll need to tag team him."

"Okay," was Serena's swift answer. It brought a smile to his face; she was always ready to team up with him. His hand reached back, brushing against hers, and she nodded. Then they ran at Alastair. Serena was the first to move, flipping forward. It provided the distraction that Ash wanted. He swiftly moved to the side and punched outward at his target. Alastair's head snapped to the side, making Ash barely graze his cheek. Then the older man's hand snapped out.

With cold efficiency, and not a single verbal word, Alastair flipped Ash over, slamming him to the ground. Then he kicked out, and Serena was forced to break off, somersaulting away to avoid the hit. Ash groaned, but wasn't done. He looked to Decidueye and Pikachu in the distance. The former disappeared, vanishing into the air above Aegislash while preparing his arrow. Pikachu, meanwhile, dropped to the ground and began spinning while outputting electricity. Seeing that, Ash spun on the ground, himself, knocking his legs right into Alastair. The man let go of his legs, allowing him the chance to flip up. Ash slammed his head right into Alastair's own, sending his opponent falling back, right next to the meteonite.

"Hm…You kept up with it," came the almost surprised comment. Ash blinked, while Serena came close. It was obvious she felt it, too: more than an expert Pokémon trainer, this man seemed to be deadly at his own hand-to-hand combat as well. "You're good. No wonder Deirdre decided to pull out all the stops…a flame that burns so brightly it could eclipse her own."

"What are you talking about?" Ash demanded. There was a slight skidding noise, and Ash saw Pikachu joining him. The Pokémon seemed to have stopped attacking for a moment, save for Aegislash, who sliced upwards. As Alastair spoke, Ash felt his body coiling and tightening.

"You're a fire: warm, inviting, flares all the brighter. Deirdre's own flame, however, is cold, unforgiving and harsh. It burns with nothing but rage," Alastair explained. He once more turned his body, keeping the two of them in his sights while providing a lower area to be hit. Decidueye's arrow fired, connecting with Aegislash and holding it in place while the blade's own attack slammed into Decidueye. "I have to wonder, if your flames came into contact, which would be snuffed out? I believe she'd be worried hers. However, I like to place my bets with her. I'd rather you be snuffed out, no matter your worth in the new world. I don't want to keep my promise, even if I must."

"New world…" Serena breathed out, and Ash somehow understood what she was getting at. Not that it was hard, given all their encounters in the past. This alone made him sigh liberally.

"Not that whole thing again. Toll mentioned it, too," Ash snapped. Alastair gave no reply, and no explanation to his enigmatic statements. Ash snapped a finger forward, pointing right at Alastair while his foot stamped on the ground angrily. "What is with people and wanting to make a 'new world'? The one we've got is good enough!"

"Perhaps for you," Alastair said. His hand reached up, fumbling around behind him until he touched to the meteonite, as if feeling its surface. There was another color emerging upon it, a bright blue forming the final ribbon that surrounded the small fragment. "I beg to differ."

"Of course you would, working for Team Rocket!" Ash yelled out. Serena came closer to him, touching a hand to his back. For some reason, it made him see Alastair sharper, and he knew: this man didn't hold the ideals of Team Rocket. There was something else in his mind, driving him forward. Though, it made Ash wonder why he had worked for Team Rocket at all. The raven-haired trainer sighed out. "That doesn't matter at all, though. We've been at peace. Why would you want to destroy all of that for some new world? !"

"Peace?" Alastair asked, the muscles on his face twitching rapidly. His body turned yet again, now facing fully forward as his hands dropped from the meteonite. There was a loud rumbling, and Ash saw flames exploding into the sky from the direction of Team Rocket's base. "Is this peace? Is Team Rocket? Are you really telling me that with scum like them around, you actually have the peace we all fought so hard to secure?"

"We?" Ash asked, confusion fully settling in once again. However, his question was drowned out by the rumbling increasing tenfold, and the flames shooting out across the sky. Ash raised his voice again. "Is that what you're after then? The peace you think we don't have?"

"I have no desire for peace. None of us do," Alastair said, spreading his arms out wide. The moon above suddenly became obscured, but Ash didn't look to see what was doing it, focusing intently on Alastair. "Nothing is gained but through war and defending with your very blood. What we desire, instead, is perfection. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Nothing's perfect," Serena countered. Alastair said nothing, but he turned his gaze to look upon Decidueye and Aegislash. The former was descending with a bright blue glow upon the locked Aegislash, only his foe employed King's Shield, forcing him to bounce away. Ash reached up, gripping his wife's hand.

"I don't think reason will work with them," he pointed out. She clearly knew that, the sharpness in her eyes conveying it quite clearly, as the explosions reached their peak. Ash couldn't figure Alastair out, though, his actions contradictory in every single way. Perhaps that was the best way to describe it: try to capture him, but destroy the town; try for perfection, but kill the people around them. It was an enigma, and one that Ash couldn't figure out. What was driving them? Alastair offered no clues but a cold, cruel stare as Aegislash returned to his side and the Pokémon around them grew restless. The Pillar's hand raised up, but not to touch the meteorite; it was only to snap his fingers.

"Pikachu, Decidueye!" Ash yelled out. Pikachu's tail stiffened and fired out an Electro Ball upwards that then came sailing swiftly back down, picking up velocity. Braixen crouched, aiming her wand and firing out a powerful Hidden Power that collided with the Pokémon attacking. The sea of foes was simply making Alastair now seem further away.

"Kuuuuu!" The sharp cry echoed around the canyon, and Ash found a grin on his face. The shadow that had been obscuring the moon shot downward, and Ash could see Latias approaching, a purple glow evident on her claws. She fired, sending them outwards swiftly. The purple streaks zipped and twirled through the air, slamming into some of the Pokémon and providing Ash and Serena some breathing room while her rider dropped down.

"Seamus! Do you know where they're heading?" Ash asked, the second that the blond had straightened, Zoroark popping out of her pokeball. He shook his head.

"Sorry, I lost her," the man replied. Zoroark was snarling, Ash noticed, and he looked at his friend with a taut frown. Seamus looked at him, seeming apologetic in the moment, and Ash also noticed Serena quickly catching up with what they were talking about, as he'd explained earlier. "The helicopter and stuff was too far away to track the trajectory with everything going on, while she just vanished from right in front of me. We lost some light from the moon, and then she was gone into the night. Decided to turn back and help out when that happened."

"Well, we tried," Ash admitted. Pikachu leapt up from his shoulder, now no longer needing to attack. Serena seemed to wave to Seamus, who nodded back to her. "Right now, we've got some more immediate issues."

"Yeah, and he could probably give us some answers, huh?" Seamus asked. A smirk crossed over the blond's face and Ash couldn't help but join him. Serena shook her head as the three moved to face across from Alastair. "You mentioned Deirdre, right? How do you know Travis' mother?"

"So, she  _is_  his mother," Serena noted. Seamus nodded once more. Ash didn't look away, continuing to stare Alastair down carefully. The man's own face, as per usual, provided no clues as to whether they were right or not, but Ash was fairly certain that Seamus' earlier deluded guesses and Serena's own confirmation rendered it rather moot.

"As far as I know…didn't even know she was still alive," Seamus remarked. His foot shifted on the stone surface, and Ash could tell he was getting ready to take action. "But seeing her face in Nova Town…it was like seeing a ghost, in more ways than seeing Dalton had been. I barely even remembered her from my childhood. She was just Travis' mom, until he came back, with just that piece of crap dad, who vanished right before we left."

"Some family tree," Ash scoffed out. Here, Alastair reacted, his eyes flashing like he was offended by such a statement.

"Yeah, turns out the berry doesn't fall far from it," Seamus snapped. "So, I'm assuming you know her and why she vanished. It probably has something to do with whatever you have planned, and we're gonna make you talk!"

"Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Power-Up Punch!" Seamus yelled. Ash didn't feel the need to issue a command. Pikachu and Decidueye were already moving right for Alastair and his ever-hovering Aegislash. The latter drew his green blades while Zoroark transformed into the form of Emboar, fist glowing a bright orange.

"King's Shield," Alastair said, yet again turning his body and throwing his palm out. Pikachu looked back, and Ash nodded, just in time for Pikachu to slide across the ground. Behind them, Latias seemed to be ramming through the marauding Pokémon with Giga Impact. Decidueye, the transformed Zoroark and Braixen's Flamethrower all made contact with the shield, rebounding off of it. Pikachu, however, was right underneath the meteonite, now.

"Iron Tail!" Ash yelled. Pikachu's tail glowed brightly, and swung up, heading right for the meteonite. "If that's what you and Team Rocket are trying to make use of, we'll just break it."

Pikachu swung upwards with his fierce cutting, and for the first time, Alastair's eyes looked to widen. It was as if, in that single frozen moment, he was conveying that no matter what, he would not let that meteonite be destroyed. He stepped forward, his singular, loud footstep echoing across the canyon, even with the remaining explosions and groaning of the base in the distance. Ash stepped forward, too, but suddenly felt his mind going blank. His vision was drooping and he tried to focus, but found it difficult, with his knees buckling for just a second.

He wasn't alone. Serena and Seamus both faltered, actually reaching for one another to prevent themselves from falling over in their own sudden fit of exhaustion. Decidueye's blades faltered, while Zoroark dropped her form of Emboar and Braixen leaned on her stick. Pikachu was affected as well, eyes drooping, the gleam dropping off of his tail as he fell to the ground.

"Merry…hold…on…" Seamus was grunting out. Ash reached out, slapping his cheeks violently in an effort to keep himself awake and stave off the effects of whatever was going on here. The Pokémon surrounding them seemed to stutter, almost drawing to a complete hold now, and even Latias was struggling to stay in place.

"Grrrr…" growled the voice of Merry, shuffling her feet in exhaustion and moving to stand in front of Seamus like a protector. Despite the wave of exhaustion, Ash noticed that one thing amongst all others: they could move. It wasn't like the moment in Nova Town where, for all of that second, they had been impossibly frozen. Perhaps it was the lack of Deirdre, or maybe Alastair didn't think it was necessary. It did say something, however, and it was that they could strike back.

"Pik…Pikachu, use Electro Ball, wake yourself up…" Ash groaned out, screwing his face around to keep himself awake. Pikachu, teetering and tottering on the ground, still stuck his tail upwards, summoning a sharp ball of electricity to it before firing the attack upwards. Ash counted in his head. There was little time left. The Electro Ball fell downwards and slammed upon Pikachu. "Now…Thunder…bolt…"

"PiiiikaaaaaaCHUUUUUUU!" Pikachu cried out. Ash's knees gave out, sending him to the ground with his friend and wife. Zoroark remained standing, just in time for the electricity to burst about all over the area. Zoroark seemed to feel the sparks in the air, perking up at it and running right for Alastair, claws wreathed with shadow. Pikachu, now woken up himself, sprang towards the man with a Quick Attack.

Both attacked simultaneously, but Alastair didn't engage. He just moved a little bit, keeping his right side to them as he patted his leg. Aegislash came wheeling in, slashing at both of its opponents as its trainer grabbed a pokeball, tossing it upwards. Ash looked up, trying to push to his feet, and he caught sight of the shining meteonite, and a shape flying down towards Alastair: an Aerodactyl.

"No way…an ancient Pokémon like that…?" Seamus gasped out. Ash shook his head. The haze was clearing. While an Aerodactyl wasn't all  _that_  unusual, it still wasn't common, and from the collar around its neck, shining with the power of a Mega Stone, Ash knew it was a force to be reckoned with. Aerodactyl landed next to its trainer while Aegislash sheathed itself. Alastair gave their group a look, his emotion indiscernible. Then he mounted Aerodactyl, reaching for the meteonite.

"Everything is clear, then? Good, Toll, Louise. Move on to the next location. We need to ensure that everything is in order," Alastair spoke. Ash finally got on to his knees, teeth clenching from the exertion of fighting through the Hypnosis. It was evident who Alastair was talking to as Aerodactyl rose upwards. "Yes, she'll be on site. It should go just fine, on my honor as the Defense. Alola's point is already beginning to shine. I'll be in transit soon."

"Don't you…dare…" Ash grunted out, pushing himself to his feet with all of his conviction. Alastair looked down at him, his Aerodactyl looking proud in the moon and firelight.

"This is out of your hands now. We'll have to take other avenues. Goodbye." Alastair's words put a close to his conversation. Aerodactyl gave a large beating of its wings and began to rise. Ash finished pushing up, pausing for a second at the sight of red eyes, moving in the shadows before they disappeared, vanishing upwards with Alastair. In seconds, they were gone, and Ash was attempting to turn back to Latias, who was struggling to get up. The rest of the Pokémon seemed to have gone silent, almost inert. Some seemed to shudder, as if waking from a long dream. It seemed that whatever battle they were having with those Pokémon was now over.

Until they heard the creaking, cracking and groaning. Ash looked up.

"Everyone, get to Latias, now!" he yelled. His limbs still felt sluggish, shaking off the lingering effects of the Hypnosis, and even Serena, Seamus and their Pokémon struggled to stand. Finally bringing himself to unsteady footing in his standing, Ash looked upwards, noticing that the Team Rocket base was falling downward, the top floors splitting away from the main base and aiming right for them in all its flaming glory. "Decidueye, return!"

"You, too, Merry!" Seamus called. He seemed to have recovered as well. Only Serena appeared to take a longer time, her clear exhaustion from the day truly setting into her. She did have enough energy to call back Braixen, but Ash quickly walked to her, hoisting her on his shoulder. Once she was there, though, she seemed better. Seamus just pulled Merry's pokeball closer to him. "No sense in you getting hurt."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called, running over to Latias with all the speed he could muster. Ash gripped to Serena still as they ran forward. Heat began to fill the canyon and Ash tossed his gaze back. The building was falling faster than Ash would have ever expected, and there was no way, even with Latias' speed, that they'd be able to escape unscathed. The wild Pokémon around them were all scrambling away at the impending doom upon them.

"Sylveon, Protect," Serena called, her Intertwining Pokémon appearing behind them, snapping out its turquoise shield. Seamus kept pace.

"I don't think one Protect will be enough against  _that_ ," Seamus snapped out. Ash could feel Serena swallow next to him, showing her trepidation in the moment. He looked up one more time…they were already out of that time. Debris and other chunks were beginning to fall, colliding with the shield that Sylveon already seemed to struggle to maintain over such a wide area. It wouldn't hold for much longer.

"Pyroar, Protect!" Astrid's call snapped Ash's gaze upwards one more time. Through the smoke and haze of the falling building, Ash could see Team Rocket's balloon, almost withering in the blaze, but holding strong. Pyroar had leapt down, aiding Sylveon in erecting a shield to hold off the building's collapse. At the edge was an exhausted Piplup, firing a Hydro Pump at the raging flames to stem the tide of it. Dawn waved from the balloon basket. They had bought a few seconds.

"Latias!" Ash cried out. The Eon Pokémon finally shook her head, recovering fully with a loud "kuuuu". As she finished, the three of them and Pikachu had reached her and jumped upon her back. Ash took the front, with Serena clinging to him as Seamus held on behind her. Serena quickly returned Sylveon. "Go!"

"Ku!" she barked out, and the second Sylveon and Pyroar were safely called back, she shot off. Her movement carried her right past Team Rocket's eternal Meowth balloon, nearly knocking them aside from the turbulence. They recovered quickly, however, and followed suit. Ash turned on Latias, seeing the remnants of the base crashing down into the canyon, exploding with a blaze that sent a wave of heat over all of them. Seeing it burn and smolder, Ash looked over to Team Rocket, the three of them seeming almost heartbroken.

"Are you all okay?" he called out. Their sniffles confirmed they would be, which lightened his heart, but he looked more particularly to Dawn. Latias pulled closer to the balloon now that they were far enough away. The bluenette raised her hand up and Ash slapped his against hers.

"No need to worry…though my other arm is broken…" Dawn commented with a pained chuckle. Pikachu shared a quick hug with Piplup before Astrid leaned over the side.

"What now? Did you manage to catch her, Seamus?" the blonde asked seriously. Seamus shook his head in disgust.

"No, she slipped away, and we have no idea where that Alastair creep took the meteonite to."

"Mount Lanakila," Dawn breathed out. She certainly sounded like she was in pain, and Ash knew she was probably at her limit, despite her immense strength. This was as far as some of them would be going in the first place. He breathed out, Pikachu returning to his place on his shoulder. "That's where they're going."

"Makes sense," Serena commented. "Alastair said something about Alola, so it's fitting that their next location would be Mount Lanakila, right?"

"What's next, then, twerps?" James asked. Ash looked down to the destroyed Team Rocket base, sighing out as his hand felt through his backpack for the communication device that Clemont had given him before departure. He had no idea what was going on elsewhere, but knowing what would be happening in Alola, on Mount Lanakila, soon, gave him enough reason.

"Hold on…" he muttered, with only Serena seeming to have heard him. However, the others seemed to see just what he was doing as he expanded the device and punched in the code that Clemont had given him, Pikachu helping him with the one digit he'd forgotten. It took a second, and finally, the screen lit up with a large view of a big room in the League Hub.

"Well, it's about time," Diantha seemed to sigh out from the screen, and Ash could only grin in the Champion's direction. Behind her were numerous others, from Gladion to Paul, and there was even Tau standing there. In the background, distorted by the picture, it seemed like even Clemont and the others were there, making Ash glad that he seemed to have done whatever he needed to in the hours since they'd separated. "And where have you all been?"

"Busy," Ash admitted with a laugh, even if it wasn't for humor.

"Are you all right?" Sawyer's voice asked instantly. It seemed there were a great number of others there, each clamoring to get a view in of Ash, and those behind him that were displayed. Serena leaned over his shoulder.

"Sorry about our departure, Tau, but it was necessary," Serena told the older man. He smiled at her and nodded, clearly feeling that it wasn't worth squabbling over whatsoever. "Coming to Team Rocket's base was the right choice."

"Though it's completely destroyed now…" Seamus scoffed out, but he also leaned in. "And how's Nova Town?" To that, Diantha appeared to be a little more pleased.

"Recovering. I've heard from Chi that Christopher has awoken," the Champion answered. Seamus seemed relieved at that. Ash was, as well.

"Rocky didn't," called a rather tremulous voice over the line. Ash waited as Bonnie approached, wringing her hands together. Astrid nearly pitched over the side of the balloon to get a better look at the screen. "We fought together at Mount Chimney and…he battled that Toll guy for us to get away…He…he didn't make it…I'm sorry…"

"No way…" Seamus breathed out. Ash could feel almost all of the fight leaving Seamus' body at this particular announcement. Astrid was no different, as Ash looked to her, eyes wide and skin going pale from the words. Ash's own hand shook; after so many close calls himself, to know that someone they knew…their friend…had died fighting Team Rocket…it stung deeper than expected. "Not him. He's…he's Rocky. He can't be…"

"Toll, you said?" Astrid asked, and from his periphery, he could see Astrid gripping the balloon basket until her knuckles went whiter than the rest of her body. "That bastard…"

"This isn't the time," Diantha cut across. Ash took in a breath; she was absolutely right. They may have escaped the destruction of the base, but now a greater battle was looming ahead, still with more questions than answers. Diantha apparently knew that as well as he did. "What did you discover?"

"Team Rocket is heading for Mount Lanakila," Ash decided to answer. Dawn, Astrid and Seamus seemed to be in no current condition to answer anything, so he just took the reins in informing Diantha regarding everything that he could possibly could. "They have something called the meteonite in their possession, and they're planning to use it for…something. A new world maybe? The details kind of don't matter."

"Pikapi…" Pikachu sighed in complete exasperation. Ash shrugged at that; they really didn't matter at this stage, so long as they were able to stop Team Rocket. To the side, Meowth was working on keeping their balloon afloat, while Latias remained hovering. The flames in the distance seemed to be dying down a bit, no doubt revealing the charred husk of Team Rocket's former base. Diantha seemed to look focused for a second, clearly contemplating what to say about the situation when there was a loud beeping noise. She seemed surprised at that; Ash was just confused. The beeping was coming from his own device, as well, but he didn't know from where, at least until Serena leaned over and pressed a button, bringing up another screen, and yet another familiar face.

"Maka? !" his wife gasped in surprise, however, the black-haired girl on the front of the screen didn't seem to see her at all. In fact, it seemed to be a pre-recorded message, especially with how the girl appeared to have toned down her bubbly self.

"Greetings, trainers, this is your most beloved filmmaker and director, Maka!" she called to the screen, sending a smile in all of their directions. Her Oricorio were at her side, and from Ash's judgment and experience, she had filmed this all by herself, though perhaps not at her own suggestion. "I'm sorry to interrupt your time at home, but this is a request from a very special friend of mine. No doubt, from the news, you've heard all about the attacks on different locations around the regions. It's not a secret."

"Not anymore," Jessie scoffed out, but her comment hardly mattered in the face of Maka continuing.

"Well, that's the reason I'm calling," Maka stated. Her full serious face was on, Ash could tell, and he listened to every word. "There's a battle that's about to start, like the one in Alola eight years ago, and we need everyone on deck. I know, I'm just a small part of everyone out there, and my words and films might not count for much…but with what's about to happen, I hope you'll listen to this message.

"Everyone, it's time to gather for war!" The screen blinked out, revealing just Diantha's stunned face, blinking rapidly. If she had been attempting to hide what was going on from the people at large, Maka's impromptu message had just blown that out of the water. Ash, however, wasn't surprised; that girl always had a way of making things lively.

"Well, looks like we'll be getting some help," Ash said to the Kalos Champion. Diantha looked at him with exasperation. He just delivered a stern one right back to her. "Look, having help isn't a bad thing, especially with Dawn down for the count right now."

"I'm just fine! There's no need to worr…aah…" Dawn huffed out, clearly touching to her broken arm.

"You are most definitely  _not_  fine, Dawn" Serena chastised the bluenette. "You need medical attention right away, okay? They'll have you completely patched up in no time at the Hub. Maybe Team Rocket…"

"Yeah, we'll take this twerpette to the League," Jessie huffed out in annoyance. Ash could tell she was just putting on a show. They had turned on their organization, but entering into another battle against them, and against their own boss, was a different story entirely. "The blonde twerpette will help out, too, in case we get ambushed on the way…but only if you deliver a message to the ex-boss from us."

"Tell him we officially quit, and he can suck on that!" James said, wearing a maddening grin on his face that hid the clear fear beneath his veneer. Ash gave them a thumbs up and turned back to Diantha, who was frowning.

"We'll be fine, Diantha. Me, Seamus and Serena will head for Mount Lanakila and stop Team Rocket before anything happens. You'll have to wait for all those trainers to start arriving and coordinating all that," Ash said to her. That made the Champion scowl even further from the implication.

"That's what I  _don't_  want to happen," Diantha snapped out, sounding thoroughly annoyed. "I'm well aware of Miss Maka's pull as a public figure, but alerting the enemy to our location is  _not_  a smart idea. We're exposed enough as it is right now. Who even gave her the idea to send such a message out, calling for war? The amount of panic that will result-"

"Will be nothing compared to what will happen if she hadn't made that message, Champion Diantha," a gravelly voice came over the line. Ash blinked; he'd not even noticed the other screen that had appeared during the conversation, revealing Nanu on the other end of the line. The man wasn't alone, joined by Lance and what seemed like Looker and Keoni in the background, the latter looking at his own device and talking with who Ash supposed was Maka. It was at least all fitting together. Diantha raised an eyebrow, looking at Nanu as he smirked a bit. "Trust me, the enemy already knows, and has known, where your base is since the beginning. The only reason they haven't attacked it is because it isn't strategically viable to them. But a large enough trainer force poses a threat enough to make them move the way we want them to. Why do you think I had that young woman send that message out in the first place?"

"How would Team Rocket know the location of the League Hub?" Diantha demanded of the man. Ash watched as Nanu's smirk grew wider, and something clicked inside his brain. He looked to Serena, who appeared to be sharing the same thought as him. "Why would gathering trainers make them move? Why make Maka call trainers now?"

"Because Nanu thinks we're going to war. He's trying to move the pieces, just like he did eight years ago," Ash said quietly, but loud enough to be heard. Everyone was listening over the silence of the line. "This isn't about Team Rocket, is it? It's about that woman, Deirdre."

Nanu, Lance and Looker all shared a glance with one another. It confirmed what Ash was already thinking. Nanu was grinning, but he still responded, after a small time had passed, with a revelation that sent all of them, especially Diantha, reeling with its contents. "It's never been about Team Rocket from the very moment this kicked off…no, even before then.

"From the beginning, this was always a plan from the very team that helped make the League and the world into the peaceful one it is today: IDEAL."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: IDEAL. Another acronym? Or something else? Of course, I know just what Nanu's revelation is all about. However, the big point of this is that it's a team that clearly worked for the League and helped to make the peaceful times, as Alastair suggested. Though it makes one wonder why they're doing what they're doing now. Hopefully you're on the edge of your seat wondering as well. Other than that, a rather action-packed chapter that is about to lead into the battle on Mount Lanakila. We're not stopping down yet!
> 
> Over halfway and we're getting into some fun territory; I hope you'll enjoy! Until that comes, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	15. A Boss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clear an issue: Diantha was trying to prevent mass panic over the attacks. Her wish to not have it in the open is not a bad one, if irrelevant now. That said, I hope everyone enjoys and leaves some comments for me. Chapter 15 time!

Chapter 15

A Boss

"IDEAL? What's that?" Ash asked. The air around him felt tense, buzzing with an electricity that most certainly was not a result of Pikachu. He didn't think it was from the collapsed base in the distance, either. Hearing Nanu's words had simply set everyone on edge from the whole thing, even if they didn't know what it meant. This seemed to be most evident in Diantha, who seemed to be one of the few to actually, vaguely recognize the name. Nanu didn't answer right away, as if allowing the Champion to process just what he was saying.

"No…that's not possible…" she whispered out, barely heard over the rushing wind in the ears of those floating in the sky. "I thought they were broken up, or had died."

"So had I, and I was directly involved with them," Lance spoke up, drawing even with Nanu as he spoke. "However, what had happened to ARC…That deadly accuracy showed me that we were very much wrong."

"You guys aren't really making a lot of sense here," Ash spoke up, drawing the Champions from their conversation. They blinked, and the raven-haired trainer was certain that he now had their full attention for the moment. Huffing out a breath, Ash sat back, leaning into Serena while he picked up the thread of conversation. "What is IDEAL?"

"It's a team. The best of the best," Nanu spoke. His tone was sterner now, less forgiving or joking than it had ever been. The only time Ash could remember hearing it as such was when he talked about changing Alola all that time ago, even if that particular mission was long since done with. Either way, it was enough to let him know that Nanu was taking this whole thing far more seriously than almost anything he'd ever taken before. "You kids have fought for years against these 'tipping points', making sure they went the right way. Long before then, were these guys."

"But…that makes no sense," Seamus spoke. Ash felt his body being pressed as Seamus leaned against Serena and thus himself in order to be seen on the screen. "Dalton's whole idea was changing a world because the League never did anything to prevent the death of children."

"Because IDEAL wasn't founded for that," Lance sighed out. "At the time, we three were far lower than we are now. I wasn't yet Champion when IDEAL was formed, but I was assigned as a liaison to them. So was Nanu, and with Looker as his protégé, we are the three that know about them the best."

"You still haven't answered what IDEAL is, Champion people!" Jessie screeched from inside the balloon. James and Meowth grabbed her back, like they wanted to chastise her, but Ash had to agree. For saying all these things, they were ultimately not even discussing the question that had been asked in the first place.

"IDEAL was a joint operational task force," Nanu decided to go ahead with answering. He was still leaning back, as if acting like he didn't care, but Ash could see the glint in his eyes: he wanted a battle, and knew he was about to get one. "We took the best of the best from the International Police and the G-Men, gave them autonomy, and they even chose their own name as time went on…which was fine and fitting. I mean, who would want to call themselves the International Espionage and League Task Force? I wouldn't…though I doubt the name still holds the same meaning as it did then, if it truly meant anything back then at all…But, in any case, when it came to them, each member specialized in things, which is what made them so effective in their autonomy. This was about twenty years ago now, I'd imagine…perhaps earlier. I don't really care."

"We sent them in on the most dangerous missions," Lance admitted. Ash flicked his eyes over to Diantha on the screen, seeing her scowl with what looked like anger. He had to wonder just why she was looking so infuriated in a way he'd never seen her before. "Regions that were unruly, we infiltrated to gain League presence. Countries affiliated with the League but faced pockets of public unrest? They took care of it. Dangerous locations? That was left to IDEAL. They were better than either organization could stand on their own. They helped build the League into what it became."

"Michael. Did they have any contact with Michael?" Serena demanded. Nanu shrugged, providing enough of an answer, though Lance continued on.

"It's possible, considering ties with the League. I'm not going to bother asking why you want to know, though" the Champion said. He raised a hand upwards, running it through his hair while he sighed profusely. "Either way, this one team was the crux of the League. We didn't send them after criminal organizations all that often. There was no need back then, with everything in the shadows. Instead, we had them help to build things up, in their own way."

"We ran point sometimes, but really it was just our way of playing goody two-shoes with the League and all of our organizations," Nanu said, yawning lightly, as if bored. "They didn't really need us there, except for accountability…for all the bodies."

"What?" Ash asked, feeling his stomach drop a little. He wasn't alone, the others all voicing the same thing in the night air. The coldness seeped around him, clenching at his heart and making his breath shorten itself.  _You don't know the horrible parts of the world._  Lysandre's words, ones he hadn't thought on in forever, came straight back to him at what Nanu was saying. The man now looked to grin, like he was getting excited. Diantha breathed out loudly.

"He isn't wrong, even if I wish he was," the Kalos Champion spoke. From the background, Clemont looked to have officially approached, nodding to Ash through the screen. He seemed slightly patched up better than before (though not fully, given the obvious rush), and Charizard and Brock were in the background, the former looking happy as he was fully checked over by the doctor. Others were also milling about, such as Bonnie retreating towards Mairin, but all seemed to be listening in on the conversation. Ash, however, kept his gaze solely on Diantha, waiting for her continued explanation. "I wasn't fully aware of the details, as it was only the tail end of the taskforce for me, but as a newly inducted Champion, I was made slight privy to their existence. Although, I was excluded from the more sensitive information."

"Are you telling me…?" Serena breathed in Ash's ear, her hot breath tickling it. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

"IDEAL was responsible for some of the more…reprehensible actions of the League," Lance admitted, seeming ashamed. "We were liaisons to reduce the body count as much as possible, but in some of the lawless regions out there, it just wouldn't fly. Dalton's thoughts of the League being responsible for much wasn't all that far off…They worked to make the world we live in."

"Doesn't look like it to me," Paul scoffed out from the other side of the screen. Ash looked to his rival, leaning against a table with his arms folded. The usual scowl was on his face as he addressed the situation. "You seriously think blowing places up and killing a bunch of people is the right way?"

"No one's saying that," Nanu said. "But there's no denying their actions have helped secure a greater peace in small ways. And anyway, that's not the point. The point is what a threat they are."

"If they worked for the League," Astrid began to ask, leaning over the edge of the balloon with a twitching lip, "then how are they able to do all this now? Did you send them in to infiltrate Team Rocket, feeding information about the League itself?"

"And that's where the problem comes in," Lance told them. Diantha appeared to have nothing more to say, but Ash felt his body tensing. Hearing about the League's shady past, regardless of necessity, was making him on edge. Combining the new information with the battle that was descending upon Lanakila at that very moment, and Ash wasn't sure what was making him more nervous. "We're not asking you to condone the past; goodness knows the world isn't a perfect place, but we tried to make it a little better. You all know as well as anyone that sometimes that means not everyone can be happy about it."

"Of course," Serena sighed out. Lance's words had an immediate effect upon all of them. Ash closed his eyes, realizing that he couldn't hold it against them all that much. People had died on their own road to peace; people like Reeree, his father, and even a villain in the truest sense like Lusamine. They weren't perfect…but it was no reason to make things worse.

"So, what made them who they are now?" Ash decided to ask, the expression on his and Pikachu's faces indicating that he wasn't joking around in this highly tense moment.

"They disappeared," Nanu was the one to answer this time. "There was a mission one day, and something must have happened there, because they started taking on less missions. A few, like good ol' Deirdre, tried to start or raise a family, like she wanted to prove something; all while others went back to their own organizations. They still had missions as a team, though…and then they disappeared. There was one mission, and something went wrong. At the time, we believed there were no survivors. To this day, I'm not sure if they faked it to get out or if something truly horrific happened with them. Maybe they lost some members, even. Who knows?"

"In hindsight," Lance commented, "that last mission was from the League, itself. Probably from Michael…One has to wonder just what he had planned with them."

"Hmm…" Ash hummed out. It was all interesting, in a rather morbid way, but his mind was turning towards something far more important. The past was interesting and all, and it definitely informed them of who their enemy was, but what Ash looked more towards was the present and future. "It doesn't matter what Michael planned. Time and time again, we've gone up against him and whatever he tried, and whether he was responsible for this or not doesn't matter. What does is that Team Rocket is attacking Mount Lanakila, and they'll be there, too.  _That's_  what we need to stop. Nothing else matters!"

"Ash is right! They have a lead on us, and we can't let this IDEAL or Team Rocket take any more lives," Serena insisted. Nanu was smirking again, as if it was the answer he wanted. Ash wasn't surprised by that at all.

"Ever the same," he snarked out with a barking laughter. "You're right. We can't."

"Guzma is on the ground at Mount Lanakila," Gladion spoke out over the line, approaching to come and stand right next to Diantha. Clemont had joined him, his glasses shining as he looked at them all seriously. "I sent him and a few Aether employees to help Burnet, especially since conditions on Lanakila have been less favorable as of late."

"Well…his strength will be helpful, I guess," Ash commented, but he had little more than that to say about the man. His fingers were twitching, and he could feel Pikachu was just as nervous to get moving towards Alola.

"You'll want to be careful," Clemont pointed out over the line, bringing everyone's attention to him. "It's all well and good to bring in a few people, but if, like we've suggested, IDEAL and Team Rocket's goal is to kill a lot of people, the more we bring, the easier it is for them. Plus, you'll want to be on the lookout for those drones. Their controller doesn't even need to be on site to do maximum damage."

"Not to mention all the Pokémon," Seamus pointed out. Ash nodded sharply. If Alastair was heading for the site of battle, then there was no doubt they'd have contend with a lot of the local Pokémon being controlled by him somehow. "A little help wouldn't hurt, though."

"Yeah. I'll contact…ahh, I'll contact Hau," Gladion sighed out, bringing a hand to his face. Ash had to laugh as Serena released a giggle behind him. His dislike of the current Kahuna of Melemele was always well known, especially when his sister visited her boyfriend. "Lillie's with him, too. And I'll get in touch with the other Kahunas, see if any are available. That should be enough firepower to call upon Lanakila without bringing too many people out."

"Yeah, I'll bet Kahili's there, too," Ash pointed out. Gladion nodded sharply. Diantha finally let her scowl drop, returning to her usual elegant features with a mere frown.

"Steven and Gary are already on site. They should help to hold things off until you all arrive," Diantha made sure to note. "I can't pull out forces, not in the length of time that we have left to us, understand? That means you have to deal with them on your own."

"Got it! We know how dangerous they are," Ash noted. Diantha seemed glad that he understood that as his eyes narrowed. They weren't going to let IDEAL get the drop on them, or Team Rocket. It was a tense three-way battle they were about to enter themselves into, Ash knew, but they only had one objective. "We'll stop them from using the meteonite on Mount Lanakila, no matter what!"

"I'll head there myself with these two, even if it takes some time to get movin'. Been lookin' for a good fight, and I've got some questions for Deirdre; things to confirm with my own eyes before I can say anything more definitive. That last mission really pissed me off back in the day, not knowin' what happened," Nanu grumbled out. Ash had to figure that this was before the man had become so apathetic to everything but his own nebulous goals. Not that it mattered; he liked having a powerful ally like Nanu on his side.

"Great. Diantha, Clemont, Gladion and everyone, hold down the fort. Serena, Seamus and I will continue for Lanakila like planned. Team Rocket…er…well, Jessie, James, Meowth, get Dawn and Astrid back to base!" Ash ordered out. Diantha and Lance seemed almost surprised on the other end. He didn't dwell on it, figuring they were just surprised to hear him tossing orders out to  _them_  of all people.

"We're on it, twerp!" James said, saluting. The salute was held for merely a moment before dropping off. He looked over to his partners and they all snapped into a ramrod straight position. "Before you go, we just want to say, though…"

"Stop our old boss and make it back alive! Life isn't worth living without you in it, twerp," Jessie explained. Ash blinked, surprised at such honesty and heartfelt sentiments from the trio. Meowth was nodding quickly alongside Wobbuffet. Ash smiled and raised a hand to his heart.

"I will," he answered. His eyes continued along to Dawn and Astrid, the two women watching their trio on Latias for a moment. Astrid leaned a little more over.

"Kick their asses…for him," the blonde said. Nothing else needed to be said. Behind him, he felt Serena and Seamus also placing their fists over their hearts. No words were spoken, but none were required. That was their promise to make sure that IDEAL, Team Rocket, or anyone else looking to harm their world wouldn't succeed. Intentions be damned or unknown, Ash planned on keeping it.

"We'll see you when we get back," Ash insisted. Then he closed the communication device, cutting off any talks with the Champions, and shoving the device inside his bag. He looked to Team Rocket one more time, their balloon turning in the direction of their destination. Ash leaned down, Serena still gripping to him, and he patted Latias. "Let's go."

"Ku," Latias called out. There was a brief second in the air, as all three riding her made sure they were secure. Then she blasted forward, straight in the direction of Alola. The wind blasted against Ash's head, nearly blowing his cap off until Pikachu crawled atop him and tamped it down. A slight look to the side showed they were about to pass over Pallet Town on their way out of Kanto, and a brief look back saw the embers of the Rocket base in the distance beginning to glitter with many colors. Serena gripped him tighter, obviously understanding the feelings he was experiencing. That made him swallow, closing his eyes and calling out to his Pokémon with his heart. He was certain they all felt his sentiments, preparing themselves for a battle in mind and spirit.

"Seamus," Ash called back, once they'd finally cleared the borders of Pallet Town and were heading out for the ocean. He cast his eyes backwards, noting the blond staring at him. "When we hit the ground on Lanakila, you find her."

"I planned to…" Seamus spat out. Serena gripped tighter, holding fast to Ash's hands. "She has a lot to answer for…For Nova, Travis…and Rocky…"

"I can't believe he…" Serena breathed out. Ash could feel all of his muscles clenching. Hearing that someone he'd known for years had just…He shook his head fiercely, shaking the oppressive thoughts from closing in upon him. "We'll have to fight extra hard."

"Right. So, Seamus will find Deirdre and the rest of IDEAL. We'll head right for Giovanni, Serena," Ash spoke sharply. He felt Serena nodding.

"Pikachupika!" Pikachu cried out, and Ash could feel the determination flowing through his partner's veins. That was all they needed to begin steeling themselves for the battle that was ahead, clipping along the ocean swiftly as they aimed for Alola. Had it been with any other Pokémon or source of transportation, Ash knew they would have taken forever, but true to her strength and speed, Latias was ferrying them to Alola with all sense of haste. Seamus seemed to still be dealing with becoming accustomed to the great burst of speed, but Serena was more than used to it. Before long, Alola was very much on the horizon, the peaks of Mount Hokulani and Mount Lanakila jutting upwards majestically.

"The second we hit, be on the lookout for any drones or members of IDEAL. I'm not worried about Team Rocket, themselves. If we take Giovanni out and find Deirdre, we win," Ash stated confidently. Serena squeezed his hand again, like she understood that he was highly apprehensive in that moment. He squeezed back. They were ready.

There was a loud sound from the highest peak, echoing across the skies over Ula'ula, and Ash felt the air growing colder around him. It was starting to snow, decreasing the visibility somewhat, but not enough to obscure what was occurring on the peak they were nearing. Three large ships were there, though one had yet to touch down, and there seemed to be a black swirl of people and Pokémon writhing atop the summit. There was no mistake about the location, especially when Ash noticed a helicopter descending near the castle that was atop the mountain.

"Take us down!" Ash yelled over the loud sounds of battle and wind, both. Latias cried out, angling her sleek body downward and shooting off for the top of the mountain. A Flash Cannon seemed to fire out, slamming into the transport that had yet to land. Its engine smoked and sparked, sputtering with flames. It careened off, unintentionally aiming for the stadium with all the Team Rocket agents still aboard. The sound of another jet engine was entering Ash's ears, and he turned to see some approaching from the west.

"Alola, Ash!" cried the voice of Hau from the jet that was approaching, swiftly drawing even with Latias. Ash briefly grinned at Hau, hanging outside the vehicle, before taking a look down below to see that Nanu and Lance hadn't arrived yet, as predicted. He glanced back to Hau, seeing Lillie come up from right behind him. "Boy, this is a real situation, isn't it? Never thought Alola'd get attacked again."

"Yeah, well, we're used to it," Ash laughed out. "Hey, Lillie. Doing well?"

"Well enough," Lillie said, nodding to both Ash and Serena. Hau grinned back at her, offering a quick high five that she took. "My brother informed us about what's going on here…kind of. And he wasn't being very nice to Hau."

"No surprise there," Serena said between her teeth, making Ash laugh a little bit. "Oh well, at least you know what's going on."

"Right! Komala, get ready!" Lillie called to her partner. Komala yawned lightly on his trainer's shoulder, and soon, their group of five was approaching the mountaintop. With the snow lighter than before, Ash could more clearly see the Team Rocket members that were there on the ground, and the Aether Foundation employees that were opposing them, framed by the light of all the buildings and the trainer village there. Ash scanned his eyes around.

"Look out!" Seamus shouted. It was a second later than needed, Latias breaking off to the side as a Hyper Beam just barely missed them. Latias righted herself quickly enough, but the jet carrying Hau and Lillie seemed to have been clipped by it, struggling to land properly.

"New plan! Hold on!" Ash cried out. He clasped tightly to Serena's hand while she reached for Seamus'. Once Ash was sure they were all secure, and Latias was close enough to the ground for them to be safe, Ash stood, feeling the wind whip at his features. Making one last check to see that everyone, including Pikachu, was secure, he jumped, carrying the other two with him. "Get Lillie and Hau, Latias! And Infernape, Krookodile, I choose you! Dig!"

"I-i-infernape!" Infernape howled out as he emerged alongside Krookodile. Both of the Pokémon headed straight for the ground like a javelin, about to break it apart. Ash felt like his hand was being gripped to death from how tightly Serena was holding to it, clearly worried they weren't going to survive the fall. Latias was pulling alongside the broken jet, securing it for Hau, Lillie and the pilot to scramble out and jump upon her. Once they were secure, Latias shot back for the bottom, but it would already be too late for them.

Infernape and Krookodile made impact with the ground and began churning through it, kicking up dirt into a large pile. Serena started to scream, as did Seamus, while Pikachu remained clinging to his hat. The dirt was close, growing bigger by the second, though Ash wasn't sure if it would be enough to cushion his fall. He looked to his wife, but she was already acting…if one could call yelling as taking action.

"Sylveon, Fairy Wind!" she screamed. A light appeared from her waist, and Sylveon popped out into midair with a cry. She whipped her ribbons outwards and the breeze from Fairy Wind shot out. It buffered them a little bit, slowing their descent to the mound of dirt that the three quickly landed upon. Sylveon was caught by an emerging Infernape, who grinned and placed her down to the ground while the three of them scrambled up. Ash could hear the sound of footsteps clomping along the ground.

"Infernape, Flamethrower! Krookodile, Stone Edge!" Ash yelled out, still dragging himself out from the dirt. He wasn't the only one calling commands as Zoroark emerged from her pokeball to attack one of the encroaching grunts. At the same time, Infernape roared out a powerful flame in one direction while Krookodile sent his stones hurtling in another. Sylveon joined the trifecta with a blast of golden stars. It provided enough distraction to help Ash to stand, pulling Serena to her feet.

"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!"

"Komala, Wood Hammer!" Lillie and Hau's commands were acted upon, their Pokémon slamming into another set of grunts that were surrounding them. Serena reached down and helped Seamus up, while Ash took a moment to survey the entire area.

It was madness packed onto that small summit. Team Rocket operatives were everywhere, their own Pokémon combating those of the Aether Foundation. Both sides appeared to have already lost some members, the fallen members sprawled on the summit's surface. Some small distance away, Ash could see Steven and Gary defending Burnet as she seemed to run numbers on a computer, while further away were Kahili and Guzma. Ash wasn't focusing on them, though, his eyes trying to find the helicopter that held Giovanni, but in the darkness and falling snow, combined with the number of people there, it seemed almost impossible. Seamus was finally recovered, Zoroark drawing closer.

"Merry, can you smell her? Deirdre?" Zoroark's vision narrowed and her snout moved upwards, sniffing at the air. Ash looked to Pikachu, shaking the dirt loose from his fur. His partner seemed to understand just what he was getting at, because he sniffed at the air as well, while the operatives around them fell away.

"Grrrowr!" Zoroark seemed to bark, raising a claw in the direction of somewhere in the mess of people. Seamus walked over and slapped her on the back with a smile, the Pokémon seeming to appreciate the praise.

"We'll all go that way," Ash said, pumping his fist. "We can't find Giovanni here with all these guys, so following you might make it easier."

"She'll probably want to be close to him," Serena pointed out. Seamus nodded, drawing himself further up. Zoroark hunkered down, claws brimming with shadow, and Pikachu joined at her side, cheeks sparking angrily. Ash flashed a determined smirk to his friend and wife. Infernape and Krookodile closed ranks, the latter holding two of his stones like stakes. "Sylveon, stick close, and Protect us as needed."

"Sylvie!" she called. Ash breathed in once and then ran forward, leading all of them there like a giant surging force forward. A few Team Rocket operatives moved in place to block them, and Ash nodded to Infernape, not even giving an order. His brave Pokémon struck forward with a Mach Punch, hitting all of them at once and driving them backwards. Krookodile dove forward, burrowing under the ground quickly.

"Incineroar, Pipi, get 'em!" Hau called out. A group of Team Rocket operatives were quickly clustering, as if to create a wall, but the current Kahuna of Melemele wasn't giving them the chance to truly muster their forces. Pipi sent a raging Thunderbolt into the crowd that Incineroar soon slammed down upon. "Go on! Lillie and I can handle the crowd here! I think Kiawe and the others should be here soon, too, 'kay?"

"On it!" Ash and Serena yelled together. Zoroark was already rushing ahead, clearly following up on the scent of Deirdre, her bloodlust, or perhaps just her Altaria. Either way, it meant they had a destination quickly approaching in mind. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled out, shuddering a bit before speeding off with bright light. He slammed into a group of Team Rocket members, sending them sprawling backwards and into a state of recovery, joining some of their fallen comrades on the ground. Ash ran onwards, Serena by his side while Seamus was moving to quickly catch up with Zoroark in that moment.

"Duck!" Serena called, reaching up to push Ash's head down as a Flash Cannon fired overhead. It was the only distraction they needed in order to be separated from Seamus, who rushed on ahead. Zoroark was clearly making good time. Ash looked up, noticing that he was, indeed, heading for the castle, the ancient structure looking as majestic as ever.

"Are you okay?" Steven's voice called out over the sounds of battle. Ash and Serena both looked over, Metagross drawing back. Numerous Rocket grunts were on the ground, gripping at some part of their bodies from the Champion's attack. "I wasn't aware you all would be coming!"

"State of emergency!" Serena shouted back. "Team Rocket…no…IDEAL plans to use the meteonite for some unknown purpose here."

"Here?" Burnet called out. She seemed to still be collating facts and figures on her laptop, eyes flicking up to them only occasionally. "That doesn't seem quite right…This is just a point."

"A point?" Ash asked. He ducked again, while Gary fired out a Hydro Pump from his Blastoise. It slammed into one of the Rocket grunts, sending him sprawling against the wall of a house in the trainer's village.

"Just a theory we're working with," his friend explained, scratching behind his head. "The meteorites and all that…if they're looking to use this meteonite with it, it seems odd, because there's nothing flowing  _into_  this place. That's what we're starting to suspect."

"Reading what's on my charts and the seismic readings, which the battle is ironically good for, yeah," Burnet responded. Ash creased his brow, avoiding yet another attack. He couldn't figure out what Burnet was quite saying, except that Team Rocket's plan here wasn't making much sense. Not that he thought any of it would make sense at all, but he  _really_  didn't understand all of the science jargon. "Not much I can gather with the current state of attack, but this seems more about a point than any actual final action."

"Doesn't matter," Ash called out, finally drawing to his full height once again. "What matters now is putting a stop to Giovanni. You can do your research then!"

"Yeah, we got it, Ashy boy! Now, go!" Gary shouted loudly, his voice echoing over the summit. Ash needed no further encouragement to do so. He turned in the direction that he'd last seen Seamus running for and took off, Serena keeping pace right behind him. The sounds of battle continued on behind him and around him, though there was still a great glut of grunts in front of him and his wife, bolstering up their defenses, even as a spot further ahead was being beaten back by two other familiar faces.

"Now, Krookodile! Infernape, Flare Blitz!" Infernape leapt back, his body beginning to blaze with heat. The flames surrounding his body turned a bright blue, unlike any other Flare Blitz, and it blasted forward, slamming into the first round of grunts before transitioning right into a Mach Punch that knocked them out of the way quickly. He threw a cheeky grin over at Ash as Krookodile erupted from the ground behind them, tossing more Rocket operatives into the air before slashing them with his Stone Edge. "Aerial Ace!"

"Drones incoming," Serena huffed out, pointing just ahead to the sight of the floating machines that looked almost like they were phasing in and out of the snow with their cloaking. Ash grinned. They  _were_  here, after all. It made things a little easier…and just as dangerous. "Sylveon, Swift!"

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Their two partners didn't stop moving. Sylveon flicked her ribbons outward, sending the stars cascading towards the drones that were incoming. Pikachu joined right in, blasting off one orb of sparking electricity after another. Their attacks weren't alone, Krookodile zipping through the air to knock down some of the drones. "Come on!"

Ash reached back to take Serena's hand, and the two ran right for the separated row of grunts, dashing through them as quickly as possible. Krookodile and Infernape rejoined them as they passed the groaning operatives, making their way quickly to the next set of enemies. Looking ahead, Ash squinted and felt he could finally see Giovanni's helicopter, and two figures next to it. In the air was something familiar and glowing brightly. Ash pushed his heels in, beginning to move quicker than before.

"That's the guy the boss wanted, isn't it?"

"Get hi-" Ash didn't give the grunt a chance to give the command. He reached forward and sunk his fist into the man's face, sending him falling backwards, right into another cluster of their enemies. Those enemies parted, finally showing Kahili there. The woman turned, offering a smirk on her face.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Ash. You're not one to let a measly thing like death stop you," his old mentor called out. Ash smirked right back at her, while to the side, Guzma and his Golisopod were manhandling some grunts (the former with his bare hands, naturally). The white-haired man jerked his head in Ash's direction before continuing with his beatdown. "Cutting it a little close, yeah?"

"Had some things to deal with," Ash noted. He finally drew close enough to his sister-figure, and the two placed their backs together. "The boss up ahead? And Seamus?"

"We saw him," Kahili noted. "He looked ready to kill, if I'm honest. And I'm pretty sure that the boss of Team Rocket is ahead. We've been more focused on defending Burnet and figuring out what Team Rocket wants here than we have anything else. Why? You plan to kick his ass?"

"That's the idea," Ash grinned out. There was an explosion in the distance, but Ash couldn't be sure as to exactly what it was that had caused it. It could have been the drones, one of their own forces, or even Toll, himself. Either way, it was a sign that the battle needed to be ended as soon as possible. "We just need to make sure this ends now, before we lose too many on our side. It's a little more complicated than just Team Rocket."

"Tch…of course it is," Kahili scoffed out in annoyance. "Well, I guess I'll let you at him, then. Toucannon, Bullet Seed, rapid fire!"

"Toucah!" Toucannon screeched out, flapping up from where they stood and sailing down in a direct path for their location. His beak opened, remaining in suspension for just a second, and then he fired. The green seeds fired so swiftly, as expected from Kahili, that the Team Rocket operatives providing protection on the road to their boss didn't know what was coming. Ash did, however, and he once more grabbed to Serena's wrist and began bringing her forward.

"Thanks for the help, Kahili! Hold the fort for just a little long-" Ash jumped to the side, hearing the swishing of the blade before seeing it. He tumbled to the ground, his wife landing atop him. Toucannon flew in and blocked Aegislash with its talons. Looking up, Ash grimaced, seeing Alastair above, regarding him with his right eye from atop his Aerodactyl. They had gotten here swiftly; no doubt their plans had offered an emergency vehicle on hand. Kahili noticed the opposing man's presence, and she turned her head over to Ash.

"Go!" she shouted. Ash didn't need telling twice. He sprang up, bringing Serena with him, and kept on the course ahead. He didn't look back; Kahili was always one to handle herself, no matter the opponent. It was proven by what sounded like Toucannon colliding with Aerodactyl in a fierce aerial battle. Knowing that, Ash focused on his own opponent, quickly approaching. Pikachu ran point ahead as Krookodile and Infernape remained close. Ash's eyes flicked over to the side and he saw Seamus and Zoroark running for the side of the castle that Giovanni and his assistant weren't on. As he turned his head back, two shadows suddenly flitted out, revealing familiar and annoying faces.

"Prepare for trou-"

"Out of the way!" Ash yelled. The second Butch and Cassidy had appeared (which seemed to make Serena's face wrinkle with disgust), Infernape and Pikachu had blitzed forward, knocking them both aside, straight into the holes that Krookodile had quickly dug up. They screamed, flying into them, and Ash kept running forward, right for the sight of Giovanni.

The castle now loomed above them, and Ash could see its base thrumming with a strange blue light in the nighttime, as though it had been built on the meteorites that were suspected to be an embedded part of the mountain, now finally active after all this time. It was still just faint, however, showing how far beneath the bedrock it truly was, like it was a part of the foundation. A Dragon Pulse fired out from the side of the castle, and Ash saw Seamus leap back, with Zoroark transformed into Alakazam. His attention focused back on Giovanni, however, the sharply dressed man leaning down and touching something to the base of the castle. The meteonite floating above began to shine brightly.

"Giovanni, sir, everything seems to be ready," his assistant, Matori, said. Ash moved faster, and decided on just a singular move to buy time. The boss of Team Rocket stood, his Persian swirling between his legs, and Ash struck, Pikachu at his side with his tail glowing white.

"GIOVANNI!" he roared loudly. The leader of Team Rocket now turned, his eyes almost widening in interest, before a smirk passed across his features. Ash was within range finally, and he leapt forward to sink a fist into the man's face. "I have a message from Jessie, James and Meowth: they quit!"

"Do they? Good riddance," Giovanni spoke smugly. Ash's face twisted into one of anger, his veins throbbing with that same emotion as he finally made to complete his punch…until it was blocked by a shadow. Pikachu's Iron Tail was blocked as well and they broke off, right before Persian slashed across the area they had been at. "I have no issue with you protecting yourself on a mission, of course, but that was unnecessary, Matori."

"My apologies, sir," his assistant spoke, fiddling with her glasses as she stowed a pokeball in her pocket. The shadowy paling dropped, with the form of a Sableye appearing and leaping back towards its trainer. Ash flicked his eyes over to the woman, standing there with cold and discerning gaze behind her glasses. She seemed to have reacted with the utmost disdain upon hearing of Jessie, James and Meowth. Serena was up against his side, now, Sylveon growling as she crouched.

"So, you survived…which means  _she's_  also around here, no doubt," Giovanni spoke, his eyes resting on Serena for a mere second. His protective instincts flaring, Ash threw his arm out to protect his wife while Pikachu remained on all fours, cheeks sparking. "But I see you've brought your husband…Ash Ketchum."

"From what everyone keeps saying, you've been looking for me, is that right?" Ash said, eyebrows crunching in as he stared down the man that had caused him no end of trouble over the years. Giovanni regarded him with cold eyes, similar to those of his assistant's, though they looked less calculating, in the moment, and more feral. "Well, here I am."

"So, you are," scoffed the leader of Team Rocket. He placed his hands in his pockets, as though he regarded Ash as insignificant; something that did not escape the trainer's notice. Ash's foot shifted, and all of his Pokémon grew tense. "To be honest, with all of that woman's lies, I'm still not sure whether to believe that you were needed or not. Perhaps you were a mere distraction, considering I never took note of you before, unless one counts Unova, a decade ago now."

"Yeah, I remember," Ash snapped loudly. Sylveon hissed loudly, facing down Sableye as Matori watched the situation unfolding before her, jowls clearly clenching with dislike at her own potential need to fight. "You tried to control those Legendary Pokémon back then for your whole 'take over the world' thing. You haven't changed much."

"You speak as if one such as I needs to," Giovanni now chuckled out. His right hand removed itself from his pocket, clasping to the thing he had been holding before. It looked like a thin shard of meteorite…or perhaps it was from the meteonite, itself. Whatever it was, he tossed it back towards Matori. "Protect the Alpha Shard."

"Yes, sir," Matori spoke, bowing. Her eyes seemed to flash as she straightened, as if indicating that she wouldn't let go of the shard unless one pried it from her dead hands. The earlier indecisiveness in the assistant's eyes wavered.

"Serena, I don't know what that is, but if he wants to protect it…" Ash muttered out, not letting his eyes stray from Giovanni, the man wearing an inviting smirk. There was another explosion behind them and Ash caught sight of the transformed Zoroark attacking with a Shock Wave from the sides. More drones were moving in.

"Then we need to get it back," Serena responded in kind, her own gaze laser-focused upon Matori. Above them, the fake meteonite remained suspended, still glowing with the same colors as the other one, the blue ribbon becoming evident. Ash had to wonder if the "Alpha Shard" was from that, though it didn't quite look like it was. "I'll take care of it."

"In the meantime, you're mine, Giovanni. Infernape, Krookodile, keep a look out for those drones!" Ash called out. His two trusty Pokémon nodded, each moving to intercept the drones with long-range moves as Pikachu faced down Persian. The leader of Team Rocket gave a nod, and Persian sprang forward with a growl, its paw gleaming with shadows amidst the white falling snow. The sky was beginning to lighten with the coming daybreak. "Iron Tail!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu cried out. Persian was upon him, slashing downward with the shadowy claw. Pikachu's tail glowed white and swung upwards to block the strike. They strained against one another for a moment, while Serena sent a roaring Fairy Wind out towards Matori's Sableye, who disappeared into the shadows. Pikachu was reacting, instantly knowing what Ash wanted. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika chu PI!"

The Electro Ball fired right into Persian's face, breaking off the strike and sending it flying away. Giovanni seemed surprised, but not enough to actually shake him. More, it seemed that Giovanni didn't expect Ash to put up a challenge, which was exactly what the raven-haired trainer had hoped for. Their last battle years ago had ended in a flash; now, however, things were different. Finally, Giovanni reacted. "Power Gem."

"Merrrowr!" Persian hissed, its red gem glowing before firing out for Pikachu. Ash looked to his eternal partner, and Pikachu rolled out of the way, only for Persian to jet across the ground, claws gleaming a bright white.

"Quick Attack! Meet it head on!" Ash yelled out. Pikachu blasted forward even quicker than Persian, his body glowing a blinding white. Serena was still engaging Matori's Sableye, and Ash moved for the distraction. He knew Serena could get the item back, but Giovanni was still the head of everything. Pikachu slammed into Persian, who slashed at him and knocked him backwards. "Thunderbolt!"

"Block it with the dirt," Giovanni barked sharply. Ash finally reached the man, bringing his body low and then swiping upwards with a fierce uppercut. The man snapped his head back, his eyes wide. He certainly hadn't expected  _that_. Persian slashed sharply at the ground, causing the dirt to fly up. Pikachu let loose the Thunderbolt, the electricity arching through the air to slam into the dirt, which blocked it entirely. "Bite it."

"Perrrrr…" the cat purred out, leaping forward and sailing through the dirt to reach Pikachu. Its jaw opened wide and clasped around Pikachu's midsection, sinking in. Pikachu cried out in pain. Ash swept his leg out, knocking Giovanni to the side. The man stumbled, but gained his footing.

"We won't let you hurt anyone else! Iron Tail!" Ash cried out, steadying his own stance. Giovanni watched him, clearly resizing him now that Ash wasn't proving to be the weak opponent he had anticipated or remembered. Pikachu's tail glowed brightly and swung down, slamming into Persian's own midsection. The jaw released, and his partner fell away from the entrapment. "So, we'll just take you down. Electro Ball!"

"Power Gem!" Giovanni called, his voice raising upwards. He was no longer underestimating Ash, which meant he did think losing here would be a threat. "Take me down…? At the cusp of glory for Team Rocket? You're still just a child."

"And if I am, who cares?" Ash yelled out. Pikachu fired out his crackling orb of electricity, right for the red beam from Persian's gem. The two attacks met in midair, colliding and holding for a second before blasting outwards. It was joined by another explosion as Infernape used a Flare Blitz to cut through another collection of encroaching drones. "At least I wouldn't be someone like you. I'm working for a better future for everyone, not just myself. I'm not blind, either. Quick Attack."

"Slash," Giovanni countered. Pikachu blasted forward with his white aura, aiming straight for Persian as the dust billowed around them. Persian also sailed forward, claws gleaming that deadly white. Ash grimaced; he knew which attack would land first, which was proven when Persian's claws struck against Pikachu, tossing him backwards. His partner skidded back along the ground. "And I'm not blind. Team Rocket has prepared for years to enter its new world. There were some setbacks, I'll admit, mostly on account of yourself and…other situations, but those three buffoons proved useful in the end."

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. As Pikachu continued skidding backwards, his body was surrounded by lightning that flew out, straight for Persian. Without a command, Pikachu's tail stiffened with a bright glow and he blasted off for the Classy Cat Pokémon. "So, you're proud of the fact that you used them, but you didn't even realize you were being used, yourself!"

"Quiet, boy," Giovanni stated coldly. Ash ran at him, punching forward, only for his hand to be caught. Ash wasn't one to be trapped by that, however, not after all his years of training with his Pokémon. His other hand flew upwards, grabbing hold of Giovanni's wrist and twisting it. The man scowled with pain, and it allowed Ash a chance to kick upwards, his knee slamming into the leader's stomach. Pikachu was swinging his Iron Tail around. "I am Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket. I have operatives all over the world, sowing the seeds of domination. Surely you must have realized that by now. My world is nigh. And with the power of the meteonite, the power of the sun, we will enter a new age of Team Rocket. Bite its tail."

"Pika? !" Pikachu cried, unable to stop his own attack. Persian's jaw snapped forward, biting upon Pikachu's tail. Then its gem glowed bright red. Ash wanted to turn back, to call for his partner, but it was already too late, the Power Gem blasting forth. Giovanni reached out, grabbing hold of Ash's hair in a second before punching for his stomach. The first punch held a considerable amount of weight to it, but Ash held fast.

"If that's true…then what about your base?" Ash coughed out. Pikachu went flying, slamming onto the ground and rolling along it. Behind him, Seamus had come back into view, along with the smirking sight of Deirdre, keeping close to the castle, like she was waiting for a reaction from all the others near her. Giovanni seemed to see her as well, scowling at the sight, but otherwise saying nothing. "It's gone! They killed all your members! And it probably wasn't the only place, either!"

"And what does it matter? They died for my new world," Giovanni remarked callously. Ash felt his lips twitching, his whole body beginning to pulse with anger in that moment.  _His_ new world.  _Their_ deaths for  _his_ new world. It was the most selfish thing he'd heard in a long time. Pikachu stood up once more, straining and shaking his head in recovery. "Each pawn has a role to play. All of us a part. Mine is the king."

"Is that so, Giovanni?" Ash's leg kicked out at the interrupting voice. It nailed Giovanni in the side, allowing Ash to break free from the hated boss' grip. The raven-haired trainer looked to Pikachu, who was once more coming under attack by Persian. The cat's shadowy claw was sailing down, but at the single glance, Pikachu was emboldened. His body blazed white and he shot forward, nailing Persian in the stomach and sending it flying backwards. "Interesting that you believe you're the king."

"You believe I'm not, Deirdre?" Giovanni asked with a smirk. Even in his surprise, he was retaining his confidence. A small distance away, Sylveon had created multiple copies that were sending Swifts to the ground, obscuring the area. "Worthless as your life is, and will be once I'm done with you here, surely you can see that I am superior."

"Electro Ball!" Ash called, taking advantage of the conversation to get another attack on Giovanni's Pokémon. Pikachu's tail shot upwards, the orb sparking around it violently. Then Pikachu fired it at Persian, one after another. The cat acted on instinct, batting its claws at each individual orb, knocking them away or into the ground. As it did so, Zoroark (still in the form of Alakazam) ran at Altaria, fist glowing a bright and swirling green.

"I believe you think you are. And we were but your Pillars: myself as a queen, Alastair the Bishop, Toll the Knight, Louise the Rook. We all served our 'roles' to you in the capacity that you, in your oh-so-infinite wisdom, felt best…and you served your role to us."

"Chu pi!" Pikachu cried, firing out a final Electro Ball. Persian, clearly exhausted from the exertion of beating the rest away, missed it entirely, the electricity blasting into it and causing it to convulse slightly.

"Now, Pikachu, let's end this!" Ash yelled. Pikachu seemed to understand, because he ran for the shuddering Persian. As his body and tail glowed a bright white in combination with one another, Deirdre and Giovanni continued to speak. Ash shifted his gaze between the two, wondering which to move upon once Persian would be defeated.

"You act as if I completely trusted you, but I've already told you that I didn't," Giovanni stated, hand slipping into his pocket. Pikachu used the momentum of his Quick Attack to leap into the air, spinning around with Iron Tail. Persian recovered, mouth opening wide and biting forward, just in time to catch Pikachu's tail. Ash looked at his partner, and nodded.

"Piiiikaaaaachuuuuu!" his partner cried, pulsing with electricity that soon consumed Persian. The cat's jaw slackened, letting Pikachu go free, and his tail whipped around, slamming into it. Persian flew back, between all of them, and crashed into the nearby helicopter before collapsing entirely on the cold mountaintop. "Piiika…"

"Yes! Giovanni…you're done!" Ash yelled. In the moment of distraction, Ash kicked outward, his foot making hard contact with the man's chest. He was pushed backwards, up against the walls of the castle, and his hand was expelled from his pocket. The blue glow shined outward, if still dimmed by normal standards, highlighting Giovanni's scowling face as he righted himself.

"You were never trustworthy. Your information was good, and I set you on tasks to further Team Rocket, but there was always something you were hiding," Giovanni spoke. He straightened himself. "I named you Pillars, in the hopes you'd believe that I actually trusted you, but I trust nobody. I did my own research on the meteonite, as I said."

"Oh, you did? Draco Meteor," Deirdre called, as if the command was inconsequential. Ash looked up, seeing Altaria fly high, the orange glow burgeoning from its beak. Then it fired upwards, blasting about. Something about it seemed different, though, more indiscriminate. She didn't care about who she hit.

"Serena!" Ash yelled out to his wife. Sylveon finished a Fairy Wind that buffeted Sableye, the Ghost type shaking its head yet seeming unfettered but for a falling knee, and pulled back, whipping her feelers around. Serena didn't give a single command, but the copies of Sylveon appeared all over the area, providing a shield to cover them all. Ash whirred his eyes around, attempting to keep track of all the meteors, before realizing that just one was on a set course…straight for the meteonite.

"A useless effort. The stage has been set, Deirdre! Team Rocket's time is nigh!" Giovanni called out. His face was looking manic, even as the Draco Meteor was falling all around them. Zoroark transformed to her usual state, moving to protect Seamus as they were both blasted backwards from the attack. Ash wondered for a moment if he had gotten any questions answered, but it seemed that Deirdre cared very little for him. "We have Ash Ketchum here, and we can subdue him if we need him. We have the Alpha Shard. The meteonite has activated thanks to all of our fallen comrades. Now, we will use the blood spilt to harness the power of the sun that rests inside the meteonite, the power of this world itself. Our research has borne fruit. Perhaps many of your lies were just lies, but they held some truth to it: about the meteonite, its connection with this world, and the ability to control its very sense of being! Its very existence! And now that the points are activated, we can complete our final mission!"

"Like we'd let you!" Ash roared. This time, he didn't aim for Giovanni. He just pointed for the meteonite. Pikachu, recovering from his slight exhaustion, raced forward, jumping for Ash's shoulder. Even knowing that it was fake, he wasn't going to let Giovanni even try. Giovanni, too, began to move, himself reaching for the brightly glowing object. It was a close one…and then the Draco Meteor hit.

"Oh, Giovanni, so close, but so dumb," Deirdre spoke, her vapid eyes almost twinkling in the shadows of the castle. The meteor broke off, tumbling on to the shields as Pikachu and the leader of Team Rocket were both thrown backwards. The man recovered faster than the mouse, looking up at the meteonite. It was flickering, and a crack was appearing down its very center. "Always being used, even before Unova. That's what happens when you lack an actual  _vision_ , though. After all, Michael was a shrewd man, able to manipulate even people like you, and he made his points, I suppose. But now, he's gone, and we're making  _ours_. Did you seriously think you could use even a  _part_  of the Alpha without the Omega? Did you think the meteonite could so easily be destroyed, without the power comparable to a legendary?"

Ash's head was swirling. Michael. Alpha. Omega. They were words that somehow sounded so very familiar to him, but he couldn't make sense of how they all connected together. All he could do was watch on in horror as the meteonite, the fake one, shattered to pieces. Giovanni turned, facing Deirdre, yet still with a confident smirk.

"You switched them…well played," the man chuckled out. Deirdre, in full view now that the light under the castle was starting to shine brightly, began to walk closer. Seamus moved to recover, scrambling on the ground with Zoroark. "But irrelevant. I don't know exactly how you did it, of course, but that's of little consequence now. You've played all your cards. All I need now is to extract the information from you using less pleasurable means."

"Oh?" Deirdre questioned, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Ash felt a shiver race down his spine as he watched the woman. Serena drew back to him once again, while Giovanni's assistant returned to his own side, fiddling with her glasses as she stared the opposing auburn-haired woman down. "I've played all my cards? How very foolish of you to assume…

"You say you didn't trust us, yes? You used us? I suppose that's true, especially since we used you, until now, when you and your Team Rocket have become irrelevant. It was a careful game, one played with precision, even knowing we would never be fully trusted. Not the Intelligence. Not the Defense. Not the Explosion. Not even myself, the Leader."

"The Four Pillars of Team Rocket," Giovanni said, his face smirking, hands nonchalantly back into his pockets. Serena pressed against Ash, feeding her warmth into him, but he couldn't stop the chill settling into his bones. Something was wrong. Something was off. He couldn't figure it out, especially with the murderous intents of the two before him flaring out, keeping everyone from moving. Almost like…it was hiding the one thing they'd overlooked; the one thing that was wrong. Then, Seamus croaked it out.

"But if those letters spell IDEAL…that's only four. The word 'ideal' has five," the blonde spoke, the light behind his eyes showing his brain's workings. Ash felt his heart pounding in his ears, drowning out all of the sounds around Mount Lanakila except for those directly with him.

"You're absolutely right, Giovanni, sir, you never trusted the Four Pillars, and who would? We certainly never expected you to," Deirdre spoke. Her face was wide with a grin, as if she took some perverse pleasure in revealing this to her old boss. Giovanni's face began to change, as if some horrific realization was upon him all too late, his hands slightly emerging from their placement in his suit. "But there was always one you implicitly trusted above all others, and over all these years, she played her part but to perfection.

"Isn't that right, Matori?"

And before Ash could hear his next heartbeat, his eyes had turned and saw the woman that had dutifully stood by Team Rocket's side for so long remove her glasses with a cold glance at her boss. Then, with a momentary flash of killing intent that exceeded all others there, her Sableye's shadowy claw jutted upward and impaled Giovanni through the chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The big reveal. You know I always have one. Yes, Matori, that assistant of Giovanni's from canon, is the last member of IDEAL. I'll admit, the hints on this one were extremely subtle, to the point that one may try to claim they're nonexistent (twitching fingers, lateness mentioned, glances with Deirdre). But they are there, and she is a part of them. I hope this shocked you.
> 
> As for the rest of the chapter, a bit more is filled in about IDEAL, our main villains, if this chapter's ending isn't obvious enough. They worked for the League but something happened, and given what Deirdre's said, it very much has to do with Michael, because when does it not? However, it may not be the way you all expect. Also, I hope the Giovanni battle was good. I know, this all seems weird because, gasp, a Team Rocket villain story without Team Rocket as the actual villains! Might be a bit…anti-climactic for them, but necessary. I mean, I don't know if this is novel or whatnot, but I simply felt Giovanni was not a compelling enough villain on his own for the Ancienverse; he's too one note to be one. Plus it's all been done before with him. This way, I think makes it unpredictable!
> 
> The battle on Mount Lanakila is reaching a fever pitch with this newest reveal, and you can be sure it's about to get absolutely crazy here! But, until it does, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	16. An Alpha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm…I feel almost certain of people not caring for this final story given a rather lukewarm reaction last chapter to the big reveal. Well, hopefully the story stepping up its game towards its final phase will garner more reactions from more people! Time for Chapter 16!

Chapter 16

An Alpha

Giovanni's eyes were rolled back for a second, his mouth making noises that Ash didn't think humans were even possible of making whatsoever. His body was twitching in an absolutely horrific sight before them all. Ash's hand was shaking as the Sableye quickly retracted its shadowy claw, and the man fell to the cold ground, almost continually twitching now. His head turned with that last bit of life left in him, gazing up at the sight of his killer. Next to Ash, Serena was breathing heavily, as though visiting a piece of the past through her retinas. He reached out and took her hand while Matori stepped forward. Now that her glasses were removed, Ash could see the cold expression in her eyes. He hadn't mistaken it before: she was a woman utterly devoid of any feeling, replaced with a calculating, murderous presence that exuded from her very air.

"Ma…tori…" Giovanni coughed out. For a brief second, Ash found himself pitying the man, betrayed by his closest confidant. However, the feeling was all too fleeting, because that cold sensation of dread had returned. His legs were screaming for them to get away, knowing their lives were in danger and wanting to flee at the first chance that he got. However, that dread was soon replaced, flooding with rage. "You…when…?"

"Me," Matori spoke, her voice as cold as ever, yet sounding different, now. It was harder; more in control and less subservient. "From the beginning."

"Matori was our Assassin," Deirdre explained. Ash snapped his gaze over to the auburn-haired woman, wearing an all too familiar and sinisterly smug expression upon her face. She seemed to be genuinely happy about what she had revealed, and the anger continued coursing through Ash's veins. He took a step forward, but Serena grabbed to his arm. He looked back, noticing that she was shaking her head.

"A job I took rather willingly," Matori stated. Sableye seemed to chatter next to her and she patted its head kindly, tossing her old pair of glasses off to the side. Once she had, she reached up and tied her hair back into a small bun. It made her look even more cruel and efficient, all too accentuated the moment she leaned down by Giovanni's face, her old clipboard clattering at his side. She reached down, touching her hand to the man. "I won't deny it was a pleasure serving you, though."

"But…why…?" Giovanni coughed out. It almost sounded like this sudden and shocking betrayal had forced his mind to completely break down in Ash's ears. "I don't…"

"Because it was part of the plan. Nothing more. Nothing less," Matori spoke. She seemed to smile softly in the man's direction, but Ash's hairs stood up on end. He shook his head. The woman's smile was empty, lacking all but malice in it. "The Pillars, or rather IDEAL, came to infiltrate you, so abandoned by the League. You took them in, using their skills, all while not trusting them. Then came along the mousy secretary who was diligent, silently working her way up through the ranks until you took notice of her around the time you sent those three idiots to Sinnoh."

"It was…a plant…" Giovanni coughed again. His hand seemed to be scrabbling for something, like his pokeball, Persian still passed out on the ground. That attempt was short lived as Matori soon placed her foot down upon his hand and held fast with a sneer.

"It was. Though I had to work far harder than I anticipated to conceal myself from your discerning gaze, especially when it came to my bloodlust. Alastair always said I had a hard time controlling it when my target was in sight. Though, Deirdre believed you were rather dumb, but I always saw a man with intelligence, which meant I needed to be extra careful," the assassin spoke. An explosion went off behind them yet again, and another one to the side sent Infernape and Krookodile leaping back, closer to their intersecting parties. Ash couldn't take his eyes away from what was playing out in front of him. "I cut myself from my comrades, only interacting with them when you requested it of me. It's been difficult, these last few weeks as we prepared for the mission, but now, you're no longer needed. As you would say, you've played your part for us. You're…how should I put it… _irrelevant_.

"Goodbye, Giovanni, sir."

They were Matori's final words to her boss, slipping something out from within her suit, gleaming in the blue light from around the castle. Then she bent over, and with a swift movement, Giovanni had stopped moving entirely, an entirely mundane end to such a frightening figure. Serena's hands flew to her mouth, like she wanted to stop herself from vomiting in that moment. Ash looked to his wife, and could see the horrible memories flashing from behind her eyes. Matori straightened, looking to Deirdre, her cold, killing waves locking most of them in place from unbidden fear.

"It's good to speak again, Deirdre. Have things gotten better?" the woman asked, stowing away her weapon as her Sableye approached with a mad grin. It was like a contrast to its trainer, who was so cold and efficient, with its leering expression that seemed to betray its bloodlust.

"They will soon. You did an excellent job, Matori. Without you, I'm not all that sure of how far we would have gotten, if at all," Deirdre said. There was a definite familiarity there. It wasn't an act, or a horrible dream, as Ash had hoped for it to be. These two women were affiliated, the members of IDEAL all revealed at long last. Seamus finally managed to get himself to stand.

"You…I don't…" he was spluttering out. Merry was at his side, helping him up as though he was wounded. Deirdre looked at him, a small smirk on her face. Ash watched the woman that was the leader of them all, remaining wary of Matori. Her eyes were empty as she stared at Seamus, looking at him as inconsequential, but it seemed so odd, at the same time. However, Ash couldn't put a finger on any of it before the leading woman began speaking.

"Everything was a plan from the beginning," Deirdre answered. Ash swallowed. He hated it when villains explained their plans, or what happened in the past. It usually meant those listening were expendable in the worst of ways. "We joined Team Rocket. We manipulated them from within. Having knowledge of the organization that could have destroyed them helped. How else do you think Team Rocket managed to remain the sole surviving organization after all these years, even with Michael's untimely machinations? We were helping them, but in reality, pushing them for our own ends."

"Not that it was hard," Matori commented. The woman was walking forward again, moving to remove her suitcoat, showing a combat suit ready underneath. "Once I was in Giovanni's confidence, subtly leading things in the direction needed wasn't difficult. I sent the agents out, suggested a return to Unova after Operation Tempest, and trips to both Kalos and Alola. At the time, I was trying to sniff out ARC, wondering if they were a threat, and until the plan began, they weren't."

"But in reality, we were finding the points," Deirdre pointed out. Seamus was now fully standing, snarling at the woman as her Altaria floated down to her level. She took no notice of it as Matori stopped, her cold eyes leveled straight at Ash. "Then Ancien City happened, and we knew Michael was behind that little debacle."

"You knew Michael?" Serena spat out. Her question went unanswered in favor of the continued explanation.

"That was the tipoff at long last, even if he didn't know it. We'd found our points, but had to spend years verifying them in secret. Louise's technology was helpful for that. Over time, IDEAL discovered so many ancient things, and our own plan was set. Then we simply used Team Rocket to enact the plan; easy enough once a glorious new world was promised to them!" Deirdre seemed to cackle at the end, continuing to take that perverse pleasure in it all. In fact, she soon seemed to laugh raucously, finding the whole thing amusing, the sound echoing across the mountaintop. "Ahahahahahaha!"

Ash snapped.

"You think it's  _funny_? You want to  _laugh_?" he said, his voice low, but trembling across the mountainside. "You're all just alike…Michael, Lusamine, Giovanni…using people and Pokémon like they're things; tossing them aside like garbage, and for what? !"

Deirdre blinked, looking down to Ash. Her amused expression of enjoyment was gone, now replaced with the cold efficiency that made IDEAL work so well. Matori came closer to her, standing like a guardian of some sort. "A perfect world."

_Perfection_ …Alastair's words returned to Ash, and he forced himself to steady his shaking breath. Deirdre had so easily said it, like it didn't matter one whit. Ash stepped forward again. "There's no such thing."

"So, let's make one," the woman said. Seamus shuffled over, supported by Zoroark as he stood tall next to Ash and Serena. Deirdre raised a hand to the sky, as if grasping for something. "Let's take the best of everything and toss out the bad. Start over. No more sacrifice. No more destruction…no more grief, or pain. Wouldn't you like that?"

"No, we wouldn't!" Ash, Serena and Seamus yelled simultaneously. Deirdre blinked again, and her coy smiled returned yet once more. She seemed to  _like_  hearing that kind of answer, in its own way.

"Of course not," she breathed, but her hand never dropped. It remained suspended there for a moment, and then there was a loud cry. Altaria shot upwards, wreathed in a golden flame, like a beacon of sorts. "To be honest, once upon a time, neither would we…but things change…or rather, the world remains ever unchanging. So, why not make an ideal one?"

"Yeah, and how do you expect to do that?" Ash demanded, stepping forward with his fist thrown up. Pikachu sparked as well, sharing his feelings with his trainer. "Because from here, there's a lot of blood you'll have to wash away before your perfect world is ever clean!"

There was silence following his statement, even the explosions having ceased across the battlefield. Deirdre's eyes sank for a moment, a brief expression of sadness flitting across her face. However, when she looked up, it had completely vanished. "I think that's enough of a lesson for today."

"Yeah? Pretty crappy one. I wouldn't hire you as a teacher," Seamus snapped at her. She didn't seem to take offense to that whatsoever. Ash's body tensed, and he could tell that Matori was doing the same, gearing up for a fight. "In fact, I think your lesson sucks. You're the one that needs to be schooled! Night Daze!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled alongside his friend. Both Pikachu and Zoroark struck into action, one sending a bolt of lightning out for Deirdre, while the other sent a sickening wave of darkness pulsing out from her body. Matori moved, Sableye with her, traveling beneath the ground and popping up. The assassin clasped the blade she held in her pocket, holding to a keystone, and Sableye transformed. Its jewel grew large, enough so as to block the incoming attacks, protecting Deirdre from the strike that had been incoming towards her. "Infernape, Krookodile, Dig!"

"I don't think so! Eruption!" The cry came so quickly, that Ash didn't have time to cancel the order. Both Infernape and Krookodile dove underground, only for a turret of flame to erupt from beneath it, tossing them both in the air. Something was flying towards them from the air, and it wasn't a drone. Acting quickly, Ash returned the two, in time for two people to drop from the sky and do a combat roll for an upright position.

"Toll…" Ash breathed out. Next to him, Serena was breathing out the last, known name.

"Louise…" The two operatives of IDEAL straightened up, standing side by side with their leader. Now, Ash understood: Altaria's golden body had been a sign for them all to gather, and that still meant…

"Ash, duck if you don't want to die!" he heard Kahili yell loudly. He knew better than to think it was an over-exaggeration on her part, and he acted in seconds. His hands grabbed hold of Serena and Seamus, dragging them to the ground. In the brightening sky, a large shadow passed overhead, spiraling through the air and slamming into the castle, bricks crumbling off the structure. The sound of quickly crunching footsteps was heard, and Ash looked back to see that Kahili and Guzma had both joined them. Swiveling his view, he saw that Aerodactyl had hit the castle, but had already recovered. More stones fell away, revealing the blue meteorites beneath.

"Alastair, it's not like you to be hit so easily, considering all things," Deirdre commented. There was a slight swooshing noise, and as Ash pulled himself up yet again, he saw Alastair returning to Deirdre's side, bowing a little to her.

"I was attempting to not shed her blood," the clear second-in-command said. For that, she almost seemed to give him a rather grateful smile. "As far as I was aware, keeping people alive for the new world was wanted, within reason."

"You seem to have no problem with killing, though," Serena yelled out. Sylveon seemed to cry out angrily as well, while Alastair turned to be directly facing them.

"So, this is IDEAL…" Ash noted. Kahili and Guzma had finished approaching, their prize Pokémon alongside them, with nasty scowls on both of their faces. As for Ash, he found himself looking straight at the entire opposing group, five strong and standing tall. Each one had their Pokémon in front of them, all but Altaria and Aerodactyl Mega Evolved. At first glance, they seemed almost like a family, each sharing the same goal for the same exact reasons as one another.

But Ash knew better: they were twisted, and they weren't here for any benevolent purpose. No true family would do that. Deirdre stepped forward.

"So, are we ready then, Ash? Because this is what it's come to. A war for which world is better: our perfection, or yours which is flawed," Deirdre said proudly, arms stretching out for all of a second. Ash stepped forward, himself, the others flanking him in the same manner as the rest of IDEAL did for Deirdre.

"We already know which one we'd choose. So stand down, or we'll make you!" Ash ordered. The woman's eyes flashed, like that was exactly what she expected to be answered. Toll and Louise chuckled to themselves, while Alastair and Matori remained as stoic as ever. "One last time! We've pushed our way through everything too many times to let you take that future from us, even if you think it's the best one there is."

"Just what we hoped you'd say. Well, guys, it's all out in the open now, I guess. Time for the final phase. Activate the final point. Do we have it confirmed, Alastair?" the auburn-haired woman asked sharply. Alastair dug into the pockets of his trench coat and now pulled out the brightly shining meteonite, glowing with the same brilliancy as the last, though it appeared less so in the brightening sky.

"It would seem it's finally about to activate. Guess it's time to complete the final mission we set for ourselves as members of Team Rocket," Alastair said, tossing the object into the air. Matori also reached out, holding the Alpha Shard before tossing it over to the man. He caught it, and stowed it away without it ever touching the meteonite.

"Good riddance, I say," Toll commented. "That scum had absolutely no problem with their deplorable actions. I'll be glad to finally get rid of them."

"Now, now, Toll, their technology base was quite helpful," Louise corrected him. He huffed, but seemed to smile, accepting the woman's observation. Ash and the others all tensed further, knowing that the second they stopped talking, everything would explode further. Other noises were heard behind them, spelling out to Ash that the forces on their side were marshalling. "Without it, I never would have perfected the synchronization system or found the ore needed to imitate the meteonite and trick them."

"You have a point, as usual, Louise. It's what makes you the Intelligence," Toll chuckled out one more time. His Camerupt puffed smoke out from its nostrils, and Ash could feel the countdown ticking on, about to finally reach zero. There was a breath sucked in.

Their forces against IDEAL.

Five on five.

Flaws versus perfection.

Ash moved his foot once more, and looked to Pikachu, his partner moving his own tiny feet just a little to prove that he was ready. There was one more bated breath; the calm before the storm. Then the snow above Mount Lanakila broke.

"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, plunging his hand forward. He wasn't the only one to give a command, but everything was lost in the chaos of screaming forces. Pikachu ran forward, becoming little more than a streaking ball of white light, aiming straight for Altaria. Serena aimed right for Matori, Sylveon flicking her golden stars out to obscure the Darkness Pokémon's vision. Up above, Toucannon shot straight for Aerodactyl with a burning beak, the two flying types colliding in midair. Meanwhile, Golisopod and Zoroark aimed for Beedrill and Camerupt respectively.

Their war was beginning, just as Pikachu slammed into Altaria and let loose a Thunderbolt. It was the spark that sent the end into motion.

"Let's go!" Ash called. Leaving his allies to handle fighting the other members of IDEAL, Ash kicked against the snow and ran right for Deirdre. Altaria descended, colored with that bright golden flame again, and aimed straight for him. Pikachu wasn't letting that happen. "Iron Tail!"

"Chuuuu pika!" Pikachu cried, snapping his tail straight up, and beating right into Altaria's neck. Its trajectory altered, Altaria went wheeling off. Ash reached Deirdre, punching at her. She cocked her head to the side, dodging it completely. Failing that, Ash aimed his other fist right at her, but she dodged that, as well. Then her leg came whipping around. It moved so fast that Ash didn't even feel the physical strike, itself, but it hardly mattered, as the moment it was close enough, the force from her kick flew out and he was pushed backwards, coughing a bit from it.

"That hurt…" he commented under his breath. Ash straightened up, looking at Deirdre, who continued to wear her taunting smirk, urging him to battle further with her. A Flash Cannon fired out, impacting with a spot that Sableye had been just moments before, the Pokémon cackling a bit. Loud footsteps indicated Deirdre was coming for him once again.

"Hah!" she called as she now punched like a prize fighter. Ash barely avoided the blow, but even from that, her fist carried such force that he felt it graze his cheek a little, and he leapt back. Altaria was firing a Dragon Pulse right out for Pikachu, who rolled to the side to dodge it.

"Electro Ball!" Ash called. As he did so, he looked to the sky, trying to catch a sight of Latias, but she wasn't there. He turned back and saw her with Hau and Lillie, slamming through some of the Team Rocket operatives that had yet to realize their boss was dead. If he took a moment to squint, he felt he could also see Kiawe atop a Charizard, aiding the young Kahuna in mowing them down after having clearly arrived late to the battle. Deirdre was on the attack again, kicking out now. Ash swung his own leg outward, aiming to block hers, but she broke off, pivoting and kicking her other leg out. That quick force of the attack sent him stumbling to the side, as Pikachu sent his crackling ball of electricity for Altaria, who angled her wings to avoid it. Ash whipped around to face Deirdre. "I can see how you guys were ace operatives for the League."

"Why thank you," Deirdre commented, though it was obvious she cared little for the compliment. Golisopod was meeting with Beedrill in a head on collision while Zoroark brought a Shadow Claw slamming upon Camerupt. "We've trained our bodies to be weapons of destruction, really, capable of things most would only dream of. Although, you're not too bad either."

"But I still don't get it! You were working to make a better world, but you threw it all away for this stuff. Why?" Ash demanded of her. The woman's eyes went blank a second before sparkling, taunting him. "Is it because of your son? Because of Travis? Or your husband?"

"Those two…I threw them away long ago. I told your wife as much," Deirdre responded. She held up a finger, wagging it, like she was remonstrating him for asking such a question. "I no longer feel anything for that piece of trash. Even if he was still alive, he'd be utterly useless. A parasite, feeding on the world, just like Team Rocket. He was the total proof of what Michael believed about this world, and if he were around, I'd see it as my mother's duty to end his life."

"What is  _wrong_  with you people? !" Ash demanded, fist clenching, the sight of his once-loving and living father flashing through his eyes. He rushed at her again, this time kicking for her legs. She leapt upwards, avoiding the swipe entirely before twisting her legs around in a spiraling kick whose rapid force sent Ash reeling backwards. He landed against someone who had also seemed to have been forced back in that interim.

"You okay, kid?" Guzma's voice asked with a groan. Ash held a thumbs up for the man, pushing himself up before helping him up. He faced back towards Deirdre, but Guzma was right with him, scowling with fury in his every twitching muscle. "You know, ya gotta be some sick freak to talk about killin' yer kid like that…"

"Travis was never a child. He was a monster, through and through. One of the things wrong with this world, really," Deirdre answered with a shrug. Guzma stepped forward, his body radiating with rage. Ash could understand; his own past with family, both blood and bond, gave him more reason than most to hate someone who would toss that away.

"Yer gonna regret those words! Golisopod, Razor Shell!"

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash yelled out in tandem. Pikachu changed direction, aiming for Altaria again, while Golisopod ran right for Deirdre, slicing down with his watery blade. The woman dodged, and again kicked out. Golisopod shuddered from the force, skidding back a few inches. Guzma seemed surprised by that.

"Ooh, you're a bulky one. That kind of strike usually does a little more…but I guess that's what happens when it's held back," Deirdre commented. Ash crinkled his brow at the comment, but then decided to press his advantage. Breaking away from Guzma, Ash made a sharp circle around, aiming for the auburn-haired woman's back this time. Once he got within range, he swung his leg out…only to find it frozen, a bright orange light flashing out while Deirdre turned.

"Can't…move…Pikachu…?" Ash called out, but he soon saw that Pikachu was in the same position, dropping to the ground, like he was glued upon it. Deirdre turned. "What did you do to me?"

"It's a secret," she said, holding a finger to her lips, shushing him. Ash wriggled, trying to break free, but found he truly couldn't. His eyes took to scanning Deirdre's appearance, trying to see if it was some new technology she had pulled out, but the woman's smile was, as ever, infuriatingly inscrutable. "Let's just say, sometimes you can unearth many ancient things in the search for a better world. Surely ARC knew all that."

"Is that why you killed Lionel? Is that why you destroyed them? !" Ash demanded. Guzma was no longer engaging Deirdre, with Louise's Beedrill honing in on him. The mint green-haired woman seemed to be playing around on a remote control nonchalantly. Ash struggled again, wondering if her actions were what was causing it, but nothing in the surroundings provided a definitive answer.

"Yes. It. Was," Deirdre admitted. "If ARC was still on the playing field, they would have figured out the plan too quickly, especially tricking Team Rocket with the fake meteonite. We couldn't have that. Too much planning and precision in order to ensure the exact events that happened would happen was needed, especially once we had aligned everything perfectly. And once we had made sure it, and it alone, would be called, we couldn't have ARC alter the playing field."

"It?" Ash asked, but his question wasn't being answered. Deirdre merely replied with a rather enigmatic statement.

"The beginning, the ending, and the one that rests over the Omega and Alpha both, rather than just one," Deirdre said. "Call it forth with death. Call it forth with pulsing life. Call it forth with those who have seen its light!" With her words spoken, Deirdre kicked out, aiming right for Ash's frozen chest, moving closer every single second.

"Altaaaa!" Altaria cried, and Deirdre broke off her attack. It became quickly obvious as to why, with the sound of yet another helicopter filling the air. Ash, able to move his head, looked up to see a figure dropping down, a Pokémon emerging from his pokeball as he fell. Deirdre recognized him instantly, spitting to the ground, even if there was no spit.

"Nanu!" she barked, and then the Kahuna had dropped. The second he dropped to the ground, a grin was being borne on his face. Wordlessly, he struck forward, showing more dexterity than Ash thought the older man was capable of. So, too, did his Persian. Altaria shot right off for the Classy Cat, glowing golden, but Persian intercepted, grabbing hold of the fluffy wings and tossing it to the ground. Nanu reached Deirdre with a grin, punching forward. The woman dodged it, only needing to move quicker with a duck to avoid the next attack. Nanu's leg soared out, and she spun away, narrowly avoiding it. "I should have known you'd come here once we targeted Lanakila. It's the reason we did this last."

"You always were shrewd, Deirdre," Nanu commented with a chuckle, straightening up. Ash felt his body slacken suddenly, sending him to his knees. Pikachu did the same, having a more violent reaction due to the attack he'd been released from. The raven-haired trainer looked upward, noticing that Lance appeared to be rappelling down from the helicopter while the battle raged around them. Serena and Steven seemed to have joined up against Matori, who was using the shadows to her advantage. "But I came here for only two reasons."

"You always do," Deirdre noted, smiling a bit in his direction. Ash pushed up, looking to Pikachu in order to make sure he was okay. Once he had, he glanced to the woman, her smile empty and taunting. "Mind if I ask what they are?"

"Just a wonder, but why  _did_  you fake your deaths?" Nanu asked. He was now shoving his hands in his pockets. Even with the sounds of battle raging, the man didn't seem to be interested in anything other than talking. Lance finally hit the ground, his Dragonite emerging as he came over towards Ash. "I always wanted to know what happened the day you disappeared."

"Maybe we just didn't like working for the League anymore," Deirdre said, tossing her arms up like she was sighing. Nanu chuckled, a grin splitting his face as he did so.

"Nah…you're too altruistic for that," he stated. His hands were slowly being removed from his pockets, Ash realized, showing he was about to get ready to fight once again. "It must have been something personal for IDEAL…you're so transparent."

"Shut it," Deirdre's voice snapped angrily. Ash blinked, the coldness in the woman's words surprising him. "You were always annoying, Nanu. Now, get your second reason out of the way, you pest."

"I just came here to kick your ass," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. Like a snap of the fingers, Nanu's hands came out of his pockets entirely and he dashed forward, aiming right for Deirdre, his grin growing wider. "Nothing better than a good fight, eh?"

"Nanu!" Lance yelled from his placement, now next to Ash. Nanu wasn't listening, however. His arm swung out in a haymaker, aiming straight for Deirdre, who pivoted to avoid the blow. Her own leg swept out, causing Nanu to jump back, though the residual force clearly hit his chest. Not that it stopped his grin, and Ash could only derive that he was used to this kind of fight from Deirdre, in some way. "That man's insane…"

"If he's insane, I don't want to imagine what IDEAL is like, then," Ash commented. Lance nodded, turning towards the recovering Altaria, with Persian staring it down carefully, the Alolan form almost licking its lips menacingly. Lance reached out, as though to clasp Ash's shoulder, but decided against it.

"Well, whatever their insanity is here, we're going to stop it, then," the Champion said. Ash nodded, slamming his fist into his palm as Nanu made for another punch. Once more, Deirdre twisted away from the blow.

"Well, those are some fancy moves you've picked up, huh? Learned some new tricks to hit foes while barely touching them, I see," Nanu commented with a smirking grin. Persian leapt upwards for Altaria, sending a scorching Dark Pulse at the Humming Pokémon, who altered its wings to dodge the attack. "Not the same, rough, almost scrappy style you used to use, even if the level of force is the same…well, increased, I guess, from your ability to hit me so hard and fast while barely making contact. Surely you remember those days, right? We'd have it out for training when it suited us. The fancy stuff was almost always left to Alastair and Matori…or whatever her name was back then; always changed, just like her face."

"People change, Nanu," Deirdre commented, but she wasn't taunting or humored. Her tone had turned cold, as though she no longer wanted to play around anymore. "We are not the same IDEAL we were when we worked for a system so broken as the League."

"But the League has changed!" Lance shouted out to her. She seemed to barely acknowledge his existence. Ash tensed his body, readying himself to join back in the fight, with Pikachu bristling next to him. "Look around you! Former members of Team Skull, fighting alongside the League. You've said that people change, but it can be for the better."

"Except change is also impermanence," Deirdre remarked. A blast exploded overhead, rocks and seeds raining down from a clash between Toucannon and Aerodactyl. "The League can change. The world can change. But at its core, it is broken. Nothing can fix that."

"Neither can you!" Ash cried. He dashed right for her, while Pikachu slipped to the side, his tail glowing white as he did so. However, the woman's focus was entirely on Ash as he ran for her. Nanu slipped back, watching the whole thing, clearly trying to discern her methods and motives. "But who cares?"

"Clearly, we do," Deirdre spoke. Ash punched at her, but she moved out of the way. Pikachu shot up from behind her, his tail in a prime attacking position. "From what I know, Dalton tried to reset things, but it would have only been a stopgap. We're looking for something more permanent, more perfect."

"More ideal?" Ash asked. His eyes looked up, locking with Pikachu, already spinning downwards. "World's plenty good as it is. It's people like you that are the problem. Now!"

"Pika!" Pikachu swung down, his glowing tail aiming right for Deirdre, herself, attempting to put her out of commission. She seemed to realize this, sliding away as Pikachu seemed to clip her shoulder. Her footsteps stumbled, and her lips changed into a scowl. It was the first time she seemed to have little control over her expression, reaching up clasp her shoulder, as if hiding the wound. Pikachu dropped to the ground. "Pika? !"

"We were so close…" Ash gritted out, clenching his fist. Lance and Nanu came near him, Dragonite banging its fists together. Deirdre continued clutching to her shoulder, before she tipped her head backwards.

"Tolbert! Louise! Activate the KB Protocol on Mount Lanakila!" Deirdre shouted angrily. Ash's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what that meant, but it clearly wasn't good. Lance confirmed it seconds later.

"The Kill Box? ! Are you mad, Deirdre?" Lance demanded, swinging his arm out. Dragonite took it as orders to move forward, sailing forward as its body glowed a bright red. Ash took that chance and also rushed the woman. Deirdre snapped her look down, the scowl twisting her face, taking on the appearance of someone who cared little for the targets before her.

"Mad? No, I'm not," she answered evenly. There was a sharp cry, and Altaria shot upwards, avoiding Persian's grasp and moving right for its trainer. The Humming Pokémon descended, holding for Deirdre to climb aboard, the Flying type not wavering in the slightest from its trainer stepping upon it, the shadows dancing under their figures from the glowing blue light. "I'm  _enraged._ "

"Go, Dragonite!" Lance called. Dragonite swooped in, its fist crackling with the power of thunder. The Dragon type aimed right for Altaria, nearly there, when it was forced to a stop. Yet again, Ash found himself frozen, as well.

This time, however, he wasn't alone.  _Everyone_  on their side suddenly froze as the snow cleared away, the sun shining brightly in a brilliant sunrise that crested over the peaks of Mount Lanakila. Pokémon stopped their attacks. Humans stopped their movements. Even those Team Rocket operatives that had not been knocked out were stuck in place.

"Yo! What's goin' on here?" Guzma shouted out, but Ash couldn't explain it. Alastair came over by Deirdre, his Aerodactyl returning to flap silently by his side, as though it would ferry each and every one of them.

"Deirdre, this is too far," the man commented to his comrade. Ash scrunched his face. "Anymore, and…"

"I know. I always appreciate your care, Alastair, but we planned this far ahead. Even if some things were unanticipated." Ash continued to strain, watching helplessly as IDEAL marshalled their forces once more, Matori and Sableye joining with Alastair and Deirdre. However, while they joined, Toll and Louise seemed to be acting.

With a press of a button, Ash could only watch in horror while a fleet of drones rose upwards. Some had Pokémon attached to them, local wildlife, made to put out a Protect. They swirled in the air before shooting off for the edges of the mountain, like they were making a box that would prevent any escape. One by one, like an unending army, they began to stack, as if trying to create a dome that would seal them in. Along with them was Camerupt, slamming forward with every footstep to reach what Ash presumed was the center of the summit.

"Deirdre, Alastair is right. It's enough. You won't hold out much longer," Matori said, stepping in front of her leader as a protector. "Go. Toll and Louise have this already settled. The Alpha should be reacting soon, once we've secured this place. It's time to prepare for the final phase, and you'll need your strength."

"Please, Deirdre," Louise called out, still controlling the drones with every micro movement of her control panel. Even Toll looked back and grinned at their leader.

"We've got it taken care of, boss," he called back. Ash strained, and finally felt his muscles helping him to move forward. Whether it was because the effect was weaker than before or because of the sheer number of them trapped there, Ash couldn't say, but he was finally starting to pull forward, one inch at a time. However, what made him nearly falter was the look of affection on all of IDEAL's faces. It was different, he noted, from DARC's tenuous agreements, Team Neo's different reasons, the Draconid's "follow-the-leader" mentality, and especially Lusamine's view of all others as tools. Deirdre looked to them all with a sad smile.

"Thank you, friends. You know what must be done," she spoke. Then Altaria began lifting upwards, right for the sky, where the dome that was now enclosing Mount Lanakila had yet to be fully covered up. There was a brief second of straining, and then all their bodies broke free. Ash, knowing it was coming, instantly began running forward.

"Latias!" he screamed out, not waiting for anyone else. He looked back, locking eyes with Serena, who had fallen to the ground. She pushed up, staring at him, and then nodded. "Serena, get the others out! Everyone you can!"

"I'm on it!" she shouted confidently. "Lillie, Hau, Champion Steven and Lance!"

"Kuu!" Latias cried out, now zipping across the summit's surface, coming right for Ash once she was freed. Above, Deirdre still seemed to be fleeing atop Altaria. Meanwhile, Alastair and Matori drew close to one another, Sableye chittering excitedly as shadows consumed their group. Ash didn't bother with them, and nor did the others. Aerodactyl reached Louise and Toll, allowing the two to get out of reach from those on the ground, the man grabbing for the still suspended meteonite.

Latias finally reached Ash, and he jumped upwards, landing perfectly on her back while Pikachu joined him, hanging tightly. The Eon Pokémon angled upwards and then shot off for the slowly closing dome. Whether his allies would try to take out the rest of IDEAL or not, Ash didn't know, but he figured they'd think the same as him: it was a waste of time when they could spend it saving civilians. Latias pushed faster.

The wind stream beat against Ash, gripping tightly to Latias as he chased after Deirdre in the sky. He wasn't too worried about catching up to her, not with Latias' speed, and he didn't think any of those below would be able to catch him either. In less than a minute, he was already bearing down upon the woman, flapping over the skies of Ula'ula. "Psyshock!"

"Kuu!" Latias called, her small claws shining with a bright purple that then fired out for Altaria. Deirdre turned her gaze back, and Altaria turned to the side, but not enough to knock its trainer off. They weaved through the colliding and coalescing purple beams that impacted and exploded around them. Once they'd escaped the Psyshock's grasp, Altaria faced straight forward, a purple glow at its beak.

"Dragon Breath!" Latias pulled back a bit, now opening her own mouth and sending a green flame roaring out. The purple dragon met with the flames and exploded powerfully in midair, nearly sending Ash off of his ride. Deirdre remained unfettered. "It's over! We won't let you hurt anyone else!"

"I'm not asking permission, Ash," Deirdre spoke. For a woman who was stated to "not have much time" she seemed perfectly fine as she regarded him. Ash moved to sit up straighter upon Latias. "This has long been decided, since long before you or I was involved."

"I don't believe that!" Ash insisted. Altaria and Latias faced down, each ready to act on any orders that were needed. "Fate, destiny, predetermined stuff…I don't believe in any of it! The world is what we make it!"

"Of course," Deirdre spoke. Her eyes were empty as she did so, though, and yet, Ash could tell there was resignation there, as well as a conviction: perhaps it wasn't the cleanest path, but it was what they had chosen and what they had wanted. That, Ash felt, was what made them the most dangerous out of all. "We have a chance to fix things, but before long this world will kill itself. What is it you always say? Never give up until the end?

"What if it is the end?"

"Then we push harder!" Ash challenged her. She shook her head.

"No. We're past that point.  _He_  pushed it that far, to the point of breaking. He wanted to prove it, after all: this world doesn't deserve to live. Maybe he had a point, but I don't believe that," Deirdre spoke. Once more, the contradiction of herself arose. "I believe we can live again, by returning from the end to the beginning. The Omega and the Alpha. Together. There's just one piece of the puzzle remains."

"Is that what you needed me for? Or was that a lie you told Giovanni, too?" Ash demanded. He could feel the pressure about to break and bubble over. Deirdre smiled yet one more time, still looking as sad as before.

"Let us meet there, Ash. Past, present, future. The end. The beginning of a new world. Let the golden rainbow flame wash over this world. We will meet there…and bring this game to an end at long last."

"This isn't a game, Deirdre! This is our world! Mist Ball!" Ash ordered. Latias once more acted, the large orb of pulsing mist forming near her mouth. She fired, and Altaria acted as well, the orange glow coalescing through her entire body and then firing upwards. It split apart into numerous meteors that cascaded downwards, raining atop the mountaintop. Latias moved, avoiding them.

"Let us meet…meet where our history truly began. Where the world began to die those thousands of years ago, and bring closure at last, Ash. I'm looking forward to meeting you." Altaria began to back up amidst the haze of the Draco Meteor, vanishing into the sky beyond. Latias still flitted around the sky, attempting to keep her gaze on their retreating opponent, until the final meteor struck her back and caused her to cry out.

"Latias, are you all right?" Ash called out. She nodded, but seemed to have suffered from the strike. Ash frowned, looking at where Deirdre had vanished on the horizon, causing him to sigh out. Knowing he wouldn't be able to catch her in Latias' injured state, he decided to put his mind towards below, where the others were running, the shield that would enclose them slowly closing. Ash patted the faithful legendary with him. "It's okay. Let's help the others!"

"Kuu…" Latias whimpered out. She definitely sounded pained and apologetic, but he just continued to pat her kindly. She got the message, turning back for the surface of Mount Lanakila and shooting down, though it was definitely slower than before. He placed a hand to her, urging her onward in the hopes of her safety despite the wound. Pikachu gripped tighter to Ash's clothing as they descended swiftly, through the gap in the shield (which looked to be about three-quarters closed). The farther they went, the more Ash got a glimpse of just what was going on atop the summit.

IDEAL seemed to be gone, or at least out of reach. Perhaps it had happened while he was chasing after Deirdre, but there seemed to be no sign of Alastair, Matori, Louise or Toll anywhere. However, what he was able to see were the massing allies of his, running around in clumps of people.

"Pikapi! Pipika! Pikpi!" Pikachu pointed out, his little fingers extending forward. While he knew his best partner was pointing out Serena and Lillie below, his eyes were failing to locate them. Latias had almost approached the ground, and he finally heard the voice of his wife calling out.

"Everyone, get to the Aether jets!" Serena was calling, helping Ash to locate her, standing alongside Lillie.

"Professor Burnet, please hurry up!" the younger woman cried. Burnet seemed to be bent down by the castle, as though taking some final readings. Ash snapped his gaze between the two when Lillie appeared to have finally caught sight of him. "Ash! Please, get the professor! We're nearly boarded here!"

"Gary, hurry up!" called Steven's voice, hand placed on a helicopter of his own. Ash turned once again for a minute to see his brunet friend running from the nearly bombed out Pokémon Center, clutching to a laptop and a few other research items for where Steven was. Nanu and Lance already seemed to be aboard that particular ship.

"Latias, we need to get Professor Burnet, okay?" Ash told her. She nodded, clearly feeling fatigue. "Just a little more and I promise that we'll get Brock to look at you, okay?"

"Ku…" she mewled out, sounding exhausted from all of the day's work. With Ash's words, she urged herself forward, flying over to the castle and the form of Professor Burnet. The professor heard his approach and looked up.

"Time to go!" Ash called out. The woman turned away for a second, looking to finish compiling her data. Ash looked up. There was only the topmost part of the dome left to be covered, numerous Snorunt and Sneasel being controlled by the drones, erecting their Protects. Ash wondered if, perhaps, they could just break through the shield. "Professor!"

"I got it! I got it!" Burnet cried, saving her work and snapping her laptop shut to board Latias. The sound of helicopter rotors beat at the air, as did the engines on the Aether jets. Ash cast his gaze that way, seeing Hau helping Seamus aboard while Lillie and Serena jumped on afterwards. From next to the jet, Kiawe was taking off with some citizens, offering a nod to Ash, though he focused on the words of the professor behind him. "Take us away!"

"Latias, one last push! For the top!" Latias cried out at Ash's command, turning back up to the closing shield. The jets and helicopters were aiming upwards, for the same exact spot as Latias. From aboard the helicopter, Dragonite was firing a Hyper Beam while Metagross let loose a Flash Cannon towards the still open spot. It broke some of the drones, sending them down to the ground. Ash quickly looked to the mountaintop, seeing that all of their forces were cleared out…though the Rocket operatives were still left behind, including Giovanni's fallen body. Ash clenched; they were horrible people, but for it to happen this way…

"Sorry, I just needed to finish my research in connection to the world's veins," Burnet called in his ear as Latias shot upwards. More drones were refilling the spaces that Dragonite and Metagross had broken. It wouldn't be enough. "I have an idea of what's going on, I think, but I'll compare notes with Gary back at the Hub."

"Great! Let's get there first…" Ash called out. The drones were very quickly closing in, filling in their final gaps before either the helicopter or the jet could get there. Down below, there was a rumbling and a palpable feeling of dread that filled the air. Camerupt was glowing brightly, protected for a moment by some whirling drones, prepared to take the entire mountain down as the Rocket operatives scrambled. Ash bit at his lip and reached into his bag to pull out the flute. "Latias! Mega Evolve! Mist Ball!"

"KUUUUUUUU!" Latias cried, her entire body glowing. Ash and Burnet hung on tightly as they continued straight up for the center of the dome. They were running out of time, and Ash knew all too well the destructive force of Toll's Camerupt. After a moment, the glow faded, giving Latias her Mega Evolved form, a giant Mist Ball forming. Then she fired right upwards. It slammed against the completed and interlocked dome, straining against it. Ash grit his teeth, wondering if it would break through or leave them all trapped. Then it exploded through, giving them their gap.

"GO NOW!" Ash screamed in the direction of the others. Latias, having an extra bit of speed on her side, pushed for the gap with the others. Just like before, it was filling back in, leaving little room for escape. Lance's helicopter broke out right alongside Kiawe's Charizard, and his Dragonite moved in with a Dragon Rush to break away more of the opening for them to get through, even if it was a temporary measure. The jet began slipping through, nearly out of there when the shield threatened to cut off its tail. "Psyshock! Pikachu, hit it with Thunderbolt! Hold on, professor!"

"Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu called, sending his volt of electricity for that area, just as Latias sent her Psyshock soaring outwards. They blasted into the shield, holding it off for all of a second to allow the Aether jet to slip through. That done, Latias blasted forward, aiming for the hole that was rapidly closing, Burnet gripped to him tighter; he held his breath. There was a moment of silence…then he broke through, Latias whipping around in the air in time to see the dome close.

"We made it…" he breathed, looking over to the Aether jet, where Guzma appeared to have collapsed in relief alongside Hau. Latias pulled alongside the ship, and Ash reached out, taking Serena's hand as they could do nothing but watch, slowly putting distance between themselves and Lanakila.

A bright light formed inside of the shield, obscuring all from vision inside the dome. It grew and grew and eventually burst. Like a column of exploding flame, it ripped apart the mountainside. The shield broke, scattering the Pokémon all over the place, and Ash could feel their pain, a twinging in his heart. The flames and smoke peppered the mountainside, making it impossible to see anything below from the inferno, including the now charred forms of all the Team Rocket operatives that had been there; not even Camerupt seemed to remain.

It had been an out and out massacre: the blazing end of Team Rocket. Naught remained but complete and total destruction.

Latias pulled away, mewling in pain and sadness, as if remembering all her fallen comrades from years past. Ash patted at her while she turned, following the jet and helicopter to their Hub. Before she truly took off, her Mega Evolved form fading away, his hand slipping from Serena's, Ash looked back at the smoking remains of Mount Lanakila's summit. His heart wept, and yet, as he saw the rainbow formed by the snow and the rising sun, hearing the sharp and shrill cry on the air, he knew there was still hope.

They had one more chance. Flaws versus imperfection. The real world versus a new one. Ash felt he was finally close to understanding IDEAL and Deidre. That would just be decided when next they met.  _I'm looking forward to meeting you._

"So am I, Deirdre. Let's end this." Then he took off with the others, only looking back once more to see the golden flame that hovered above the mountain for but a second. The final tipping point was at last calling to them. Their final battle was nearly here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, the war with Team Rocket is over, but the war with IDEAL is just beginning. The final battle is soon, however, and I hope this shed a bit of light as to all their intentions. How and why what is about to happen is about to happen will definitely be discussed soon, but for now, I hope this action was immensely pleasing and intense for all of you. The best is yet to come!
> 
> We're about to get very intense, so hold on to your seats as the Ancienverse heads for its explosive ending. Until next we meet, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	17. A Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready to clear up most of what remains. Let's read Chapter 17!

Chapter 17

A Return

The trip to the Hub was a solemn one, marked by a tremendous silence across the ocean waters, far away from Alola. The only thing to break up that silence (other than the droning noise of the jet engines) was Burnet clacking away on her keyboard once she had safely been delivered to the Aether jet, needing a more stable surface to work upon. Whatever she'd found, though, she certainly didn't share it. Ash didn't say anything, either. He just kept mulling over the events from Mount Lanakila, Pikachu falling asleep in his lap while he did so.

Even Serena was silent, though that was probably because she'd fallen asleep aboard the jet. Ash remarked in his head that she had seemed rather exhausted from all the events, and he hoped she'd take care of herself when they got to the Hub, though at the moment, he didn't bother waking her. This was especially so with Lillie resting her head in his wife's lap. Only when the League Hub was appearing on the horizon in the ocean did Ash finally engage in conversation with another person.

"That was some pretty nasty stuff, yeah?" Hau said, his voice low and his tone serious in the moment. Ash grunted a bit, nodding in the moment. Hau leaned against the side of the jet, exhaling loudly. "At least the people on the mountain got off okay."

"Barely," Kahili commented with a scoff, herself joining Hau and leaning against the other side. "If it hadn't been the dead of night, there would have been a lot more trainers and civilians that would have fallen there. Almost makes me wonder if that particular timing was part of their plan all along, considering all of Team Rocket seems to have officially been wiped out; not an operative left. Meanwhile, everyone else seems to have turned out perfectly fine."

"I'm pretty sure it  _was_  their plan," Ash exhaled, tilting his head back to feel the sea breeze while looking at the approaching Hub. He held his arms tighter around Pikachu, focusing his eyes straight ahead with a steely fire. "They set everything up perfectly, apparently…"

"Hmm…" Kahili hummed out, but said nothing more. Either way, the thoughts were frightening, Ash felt. If it  _hadn't_  been planned that way, then IDEAL seemed rather willing to kill a lot of innocents just to get at their goal. However, if it  _had_  actually been planned that way, then the reality was far more disconcerting: that they were tricky individuals who knew how to play them like violins.

"Ash," called the voice of Steven from the front helicopter, guiding the way to the League Hub. "When we touch down, everyone should get checked out by the medical staff we have on call. Once that's done, I want you to meet us in the main meeting room. I'm sure you know where it is."

"I got it," Ash answered, exhaling once more. Feeling satisfied, Steven withdrew his head as they began their final approach to the large base sitting on the ocean. Ash now leaned forward, Pikachu stirring in his lap, and the two looked out to the humongous fortress. From where he was, Ash could see the place where the stadium likely sat, though no other contents of the Hub were quite so visible. Just a seaborne fortress that was inviting to some, and forbidding to others. Thankfully, Ash found himself being part of the former. "Almost there, Latias. We'll get you treated in no time."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, patting his partner. Finally, Ash saw them all beginning to descend and Latias followed suit. Whoever was operating things must have known they were coming, because the walls extended outward into landing pads for them to enter into the base. They weren't alone, either, as it seemed some other helicopters and jets were arriving. In particular, Ash could swear he saw one from Unova containing Iris and Cilan, both of whom caught sight of him and waved. He gave a tired wave back, but couldn't do any more to greet them. Clearly, though, Maka's message had reached a great many people, now making their way to the Hub.

He needn't have worried, though, as he soon touched down, hopping off of Latias. His feet wavered from exhaustion for a moment, and he pitched to the side, soon supported by Guzma. The older man gave a jerky nod, placing him steady on his feet before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking off towards the doors to the Hub. "Come on, bros! Let's get y'all patched up!"

"You got it, boss!" the employees inside the jet said before scrambling out of it. Ash watched them go with a rather bemused expression. Kahili chuckled as she followed them out of the jet, clearly not alone with Serena, Lillie and Hau right behind her.

"They never change," the blue-haired woman spoke. She reached over, punching Ash on the shoulder. "Get yourself checked out, yeah? I'll meet you inside and we can fully catch up."

"Yeah, you, too. Looks like he cut you," Ash pointed out, finally realizing the torn fabric on Kahili's shoulder that had escaped his notice in the heat of battle. She laughed it off, slapping him on the back and walking away. As she did so, she crossed paths with Brock, running out with as much first aid equipment as was necessary. His first stop was Latias. Ash turned to his oldest and best friend and watched him a moment before speaking. "Brock, will she be good?"

"It's just standard damage," Brock said almost immediately upon inspection. It proved how skilled he was at his work that he was able to point it out after mere seconds. The doctor dug into his bag, pulling out a potion and some herbs. Latias cooed out, with Ash reaching down to pat her on the head, as the doctor sprayed the potion. The second Brock applied the herbs, it must have stung, however, because she hissed and thrashed about a little. However, when she settled down, Latias seemed at a far better state of peace than before. "Just a little bit of rest and she'll be fine in no time."

"That's a relief, huh, Pikachu?" Ash asked of his partner. Pikachu nodded, seeming grateful. Ash bent back down to Latias again and patted her on the head. "You go find somewhere nice to relax, 'kay?"

Latias gave off a soft cry, and both Ash and Brock stepped back, allowing the Eon Pokémon to take off for the skies, and towards an area where it seemed plenty of bird Pokémon were resting. Ash breathed out a little, watching as Hau and Lillie made their way off for the door, clasping hands together rather tentatively. Even after dating for a couple years, they always seemed to be in a touch and go phase; though it no doubt had to do with Lillie's surly brother that was walking over to greet them, having already spoken with Guzma. At this point, Seamus and Zoroark were also making their way out of the jet, supporting one another.

"I'm fine, Merry, really," Seamus spoke to her. She growled out a little, but Seamus shook his head. "I'm not lying. It's just as important to me that you're okay."

"The same should go for all of you," Brock said sternly. Ash looked to him as the doctor packed his things up. He looked to both Ash and Serena with an unyielding expression, causing Ash to sigh. "Because I know you'll ask, Dawn is fine. Technology has come far enough that the League doctors on hand treated her arm in no time. Another day or two and it'll be fully healed, even if it's recommended to not put  _too_  much strain on it. May and Misty are watching over her right now; something about both of them having hopped a quick ride over the second the message went out."

"So they're here, then?" Ash asked. Brock nodded, walking forward a bit. Serena stepped closer to Ash, taking his hand as they followed the doctor into the Hub. Ash knew the location well enough, having visited it once upon a time ago. "I guess a lot of people are coming here."

"After Maka's message, a lot of people have been arriving. Even my lovely bride to be, Aria!" Brock proclaimed. There was a loud noise and Croagunk appeared threateningly.

"Don't you have to ask her out, first?" Serena asked. Brock ignored it, like that particular detail didn't actually matter in the long run. Ash just shrugged, chuckling under his breath. Their group, the last of those that had come from Mount Lanakila, finally passed through the door. In seconds, that door closed behind them and Brock turned, clearly guiding them to the white-lined medical rooms. Others had split off, some going for the meeting room while others appeared to be going for some other gathering area. Brock chose to address this issue.

"I'm fairly sure that Diantha wants you to get to the meeting room as soon as you've been checked out. Obviously, there's a lot to talk about." Ash now took his turn to nod as they fully entered the medical hallway. Some doors were closed, while others were wide open. In particular, Ash saw the door open for where Dawn was, sitting in a bed. Serena got there first.

"Dawn, I've heard you're okay," Ash's wife said, sounding worried. The bluenette looked up, as Misty and May quickly moved out of the small room.

"I'm definitely okay! No need to worry, like always!" Dawn responded with her usual brand of cheeriness. Part of it sounded forced to Ash, knowing Dawn as well as he did, but he also guessed it was likely from the recovery process. Though, Ash was glad to note that her arm didn't look like a limp noodle anymore, wrapped in a glowing device. "At least  _you're_  okay! Astrid couldn't stop pacing before she heard the people and Performers from Nova Town were here!"

"So, Christopher and Bethany showed up?" Ash asked of May as the Coordinator moved out of the room. The brunette shrugged, like she didn't really know the answer.

"We just got here a little bit ago ourselves. If it wasn't for Maka's message, I'd hate to think how much we'd miss." Ash hummed out at May's statement, thinking to what remained of Team Nova, instead, the group likely reuniting here at the Hub. He had to wonder how they'd take the news of Rocky's death. If Seamus and Astrid's reactions were anything to go by, it wouldn't be well. Ash looked up at the glaring lights on the ceiling, his mind now drawn elsewhere as it reflected on all the death that had visited them.

_Lionel…_ His father's best friend was gone, and now was the first chance he truly had to reflect on that since learning so. Aidan was likely still out there somewhere, but after so long, that seemed irrelevant. The man that had been almost something of a father figure to him at the tip end of his teenage years was dead, and he could finally feel the pang of that in his heart. It made him burn inside with grief…His hands started to shake. Then he felt a sharp slap on the back of his head.

"Speaking of missing things, where the hell did you go?" Misty snapped at him angrily. Ash turned to her with a scowl. Here he was, finally processing the death of a friend, and she just  _had_  to go and ruin that. "Rumor had it that you disappeared when all this other stuff was going on. What's up with that? Not like you to run away!"

"I didn't run away!" Ash contested, glaring at Misty. The ginger-haired woman leaned in, sparks flying between the two of them while May laughed nervously. "I didn't have a choice with Clemont and Seamus hurt. Second they were better I got right back into the battle!"

"Uh-huh…putting Pikachu in danger like that…What were you thinking?"

"Chuu…" Pikachu said in embarrassment. Sweat seemed to drip from his fur, and before Ash could stop him, his partner had dropped to the ground and went to join Piplup, away from the feuding friends.

"I didn't 'put him in danger'. This was a fight we all had to do, or are you telling me you're just heading back to your Gym? Because that doesn't seem like you," Ash snapped right back at her. Misty withdrew, her face growing a little softer as she shook her head. Once more, Ash breathed out, and he felt a calming touch on his hand, Serena having returned to him.

"No, we'll be standing and fighting whatever fight needs to be had," Misty told him, now affixing a smile to her face. "In the meantime, you go get yourselves taken care of. I don't want to worry any more than I already have."

"Yeah, okay, Misty," Ash said, turning away. He was still happy to know that his friends cared for him, though, and he and Serena moved further down the hall. Another door was open, where Seamus seemed to be sitting with Merry. Brock was looking over the both of them there, particularly the cut on Seamus' chest. In another room was Max, seeming to be sleeping as his leg was contained in the same thing as Dawn's arm. Ash moved on, and Serena stopped outside one of the rooms.

"I'll get myself checked up in here. Meet up in the briefing room?" she asked. Ash blinked at her, wondering why she didn't just suggest meeting up right outside, but he nodded. He leaned forward and offered her a kiss, which she accepted, before they parted. His wife slid inside the doctor's room, closing the door behind her while Ash moved on to another room with a Nurse Joy waiting, Pikachu joining him in the process.

He left the door open, holding his pokeballs out to the woman, who took them with a smile before she moved to examine himself. The entire space was silent, leaving Ash inside his thoughts. Part of him was considering Deirdre and her words, the other part was hoping Serena would be okay from how tired she looked. Then his thoughts slipped away: Lionel, Rocky…they had both given their lives, intentionally or not, for building their better world, yet Deirdre would make it so that their sacrifices meant nothing. His fist clenched.

"Ash, your Pokémon are all in fighting fit shape," Nurse Joy said, breaking him from his thoughts far sooner than he had expected. Pikachu returned to his shoulder as Ash took all of his pokeballs back, reflecting on all of his partners with him and their own burning desire to fight. Holding to that thought, he stepped back out into the hallway. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Ash walked back down the corridor, deciding to head straight for the meeting room. His eyes strayed to the door that Serena was behind and he could see her talking with the doctor in the room, nodding as she looked at something on a screen. He hoped she was okay, but turned his mind elsewhere.

People filled the hallways, some of them greeting him, but others moving to greet one another while Ash just strode down the corridors for the room he was trying to get to. Around the time he reached those large doors, he stopped, staring up at them. More disturbed thoughts swirled around in his head, but he pushed them aside, and the door with them.

"Rawwwwr!" roared a loud voice, and Ash instantly knew who was greeting him. Said roar also announced his presence to everyone there, each turning to see him striding through the doors. The Champions, Cynthia, Alder and even Kukui now included, faced him, watching him. Near the head of the table were also Paul and Alain, nodding to him. Before Ash could answer them, he felt Charizard nuzzling him happily, glad to see him returned. He reached up to pat his Pokémon on the snout before looking up, in time for the blur that was Bonnie to collide with him in a hug.

"About time…" she said, her voice muffled into his shirt. While she reached up to his chin, Ash still allowed himself the moment to pat the girl on her head. Then she drew away, Dedenne communicating with Pikachu for a second, before she stepped back towards her father and Korrina, who were also there. Ash breathed out.

"I'm back!" he announced, grinning at all of them. Paul was the first to react, scoffing and rolling his eyes. With that particularly warm welcome, Ash stepped further into the room and up to the table, placing his hands upon it. "So, what's going on, everyone?"

"Theorizing!" Burnet yelled out from her place at the table, her husband at a different part of the room (which surprised Ash that he'd gotten there so quickly, in some way). Ash wasn't surprised to catch sight of either professor there, however, Burnet spreading her papers out wide, laptops cluttering the surface of the table. To clear some of the room, Ash returned Charizard to his pokeball at last. Gary, Steven and Cynthia were leaning over the table with Burnet while she pored over the charts. From the other side of the room, Kukui soon approached, handing his wife some coffee.

"It's really quite fascinating stuff," Clemont pointed out, adjusting his glasses on his face. He looked better, Ash noted, but there was no doubt that the burn would trouble him for some time, even if he powered through it without distraction. Bonnie seemed to think so, too, frowning. "The recent research into the meteorites and dimensions that we've been progressing the last decade is absolutely thrilling!"

"Just like you to get excited over all that science stuff," Ash laughed out. He made his way over to the lemon blond and slung his arm around him while the doors opened again, this time the arrival being Seamus and Zoroark emerging through it, tossing a salute to them all. At his side was Astrid, her brow furrowed. She jerked her head in Ash's direction, but said nothing. He had the feeling she'd just delivered the somber news to Team Nova.

"Be excited all you want," Nanu's voice grumbled out from where near the refreshments were. He was stirring some noodles inside a carton while everyone looked to the older man. Hau and Gladion, in particular, were focusing on him, though both in entirely different ways. "Rest assured, while you all are scrambling around, trying to do all these studies, IDEAL's already figured everything out. They're probably busy amassing forces for war, instead. Though I'd imagine it'll take a couple days, but we don't even know where they're going to strike."

"Amassing forces is something we've been taking care of, ourselves, thanks to Maka, here," Diantha spoke coolly. Maka, somewhere along the table, looked pretty pleased with herself, waving over to Ash. Nanu just shrugged, disinterested. "As for where, how long do you suppose we have before they strike? Will it be immediate?"

"Could be…" Lance commented, folding his arms as he leaned against the table. "Though, before each mission, there would usually be a three-day leave. Like clockwork. If they're still working on that schedule, as I'd expect they are, given today, they'll wait three days before striking."

"I think they'll wait to strike no matter what," Ash said to all of them, his own thoughts triggered at Lance's words. Yet again, the raven-haired trainer's words drew attention from those in the room, save for the researchers all huddled together over the table. Ash separated from Clemont now and shoved his hands in his pockets as Pikachu hopped on to the table. "I don't know if it's a lie, but it seems like they wanted me for something. Even more, Deirdre mentioned wanting to meet me wherever this all was supposed to take place. They  _want_  us there."

"But why?" Cynthia asked, looking up from her placement. Ash almost shrugged, but he gave it all serious thought. From the words Deirdre had spoken, she had very explicitly mentioned one person, one individual; one that they should have considered from the beginning. He wasn't the one to answer, however, as the doors opened once more, and Ash saw Serena walking in, looking a little better, but still tired.

"Because of Michael," she answered, coming to stand next to Ash's side. Her proclamation had sent the room atwitter, but for a few there. Maka called out to Serena, and she offered her ex-rival a kindly wave. The younger woman's movement seemed to reveal the last remnants of Team Rocket, being Jessie, James and Meowth, gorging their faces on food in the room.

"You all right?" Ash asked of his wife. She smiled her usual brilliant smile at him, glowing a little more than usual.

"Fighting fit, it seems! Just need some rest," Serena promised, reaching her hand up and trailing it down his arm. Ash nodded, glad that she was okay, and they both faced those waiting for them to continue. "I think…they're trying to prove something, because of him."

"That fits," Ash answered, nodding. "Deirdre mentioned something about wanting to prove something. I don't know what she was talking about, but she most definitely wants to meet us in battle, and they won't take no for an answer. I think it's the only way they feel justified."

"You're saying we can't avoid one, then…" Kukui murmured out, sipping on his own coffee mug. "They've purposely brought in a situation where we can't afford to not to."

"Then the only answer is deciding just  _where_  they want to battle," Lance sighed out tiredly, reaching up to rub at his temples. No one had an answer, so Ash returned to trying to think about it. His mind ran through everything Deirdre had said, his face screwing up in concentration. It took a moment of that intense thought, but he soon figured it out.

"'Where the Alpha and the Omega meet'," he spoke aloud. This time, it was Gary and Burnet who looked upwards. They shared their own set of glances and then stood, making everyone begin to pay attention to them. "What does it mean, Gary?"

"It means we might be able to figure it out," Gary said, smirking at the information that they had now been given. Ash quirked an eyebrow and waited for them to explain. Meanwhile, Burnet leaned forward and clacked away on her computer until images appeared on the screen usually used for the IRCS, representing squiggly diagrams that made very little sense to Ash. "Burnet and I have theorized that the world has been getting sicker."

"Yeah, that's what Squishy said!" Bonnie exclaimed, bouncing forward to say so. Burnet was nodding, as if logging that newest information into her brain.

"Right, so…" Burnet drew out, sipping on her coffee before she began clicking around. "The world has been getting sicker because it no longer has the support system of the other worlds connected to it, since we closed that…er…you all did, rather. Normally, I don't think this would be a problem, especially since the tipping points have been prevented, even with the Ultra Space closing."

"The bigger issue we see is all this destruction caused," Gary noted. Ash tilted his head to the side, Pikachu right with him, showing how confused he was about all the scientific stuff around him. Clemont seemed to laugh out while Gary continued with his explanation. "With no way of sharing power, the blood and devastation of the land is causing the world to break at the seams, crying out in its final moments, which I want to think is IDEAL's intentions."

"You mentioned the Alpha and Omega, right? Well, the meteonite is definitely the Alpha," Burnet stated, and she finally began using the images on the screen. Everyone there was raptly focused on what was being shown there, even if they didn't all understand it well. Ash was among them, but he just chose to go with the flow of things, only recognizing the rock that represented the meteonite, itself. "The only reason we know this is because it's absorbing power from the points. It's storing energy from the destruction wrought across the land. A beginning point, as it were."

"And the Omega is the ending point," Clemont noted, tapping his foot. It seemed to make sense to him, no matter how over Ash's head it was. "But that can't be the only reason. What do they gain by making the world so sick?"

"Perhaps they force other Legendaries to act," Tau pointed out, sitting at a chair around the table. No one really looked at him, but he went on regardless. "I mean, when Kalos' course of nature was thrown out of balance, Zygarde acted. When our Team Neo's actions, along with DARC's, nearly threw the balance of life and death out of order, Xerneas and Yveltal acted. Likewise, with Solgaleo and Lunala in Alola. You can even follow the thread for the rest of the tipping points. Perhaps, the reason the legendary Pokémon are involved with every tipping point is because they react when something threatens the world's ability to sustain itself."

"Then what is IDEAL trying to summon by tipping this balance?" Ash asked, setting the whole room into a rather contemplative mood. Clemont was the first one quick enough to come up with an answer.

"Ho-oh." Ash whipped his gaze to his friend at that, eyes wide with the very thought of it. "It's just a guess, though."

"One that would make sense," Tau confirmed. "Think about it. Like I said, nearly every legendary has been involved with a tipping point: Orange Islands involved Zapdos, Moltres, Articuno and Lugia; Hoenn involved Groudon and Kyogre; Sinnoh with Dialga and Palkia; Unova was an odd duck, but given the work of both Team Rocket and Team Plasma, their own native legendaries affected things. Then, in this case, they caused the devastation in  _seven_  regions to alter things…"

"And then this is to do with the world itself…brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Burnet cried. "By systematically eliminating the legendaries' connection to the tipping points over the years, there're very little left tied to the world's flow. Or if they are, they're in no position to do anything. Though, I know very little of Ho-oh…"

"All I know is that I haven't seen it in over a decade," Ash admitted.

"Then it also explains why IDEAL didn't act or force Team Rocket to act until now!" Clemont shouted out. It was like seeing all of the most brilliant and brightest minds in the world colliding against one another and coming up with theories that Ash would have never guessed at in his lifetime. "They had to wait for all of the other chances of tipping points to happen so no other legendary could interfere with what they were trying…whatever it is…"

"That's exactly what they were doing," called a voice at the sound of the doors opening. Ash, and everyone else, turned to face the newcomer, or  _newcomers_  as Seamus and Serena's voices quickly indicated.

"Dad? !" they both called out. Tau stood from his chair rapidly at the sight of Aidan, staring across to him with widened eyes. Though, Ash was more transfixed upon his partner, being that of Serena's father. It was less surprising that he had shown up to help out at this point, so much as it was surprising to see him with  _Aidan_  of all people. Serena kept speaking onward. "What are  _you_  doing here?"

"World's in danger, right? I believe that's when the hero steps in, yes?" Y suggested, winking at his daughter. She continued staring, looking almost flabbergasted by his suggestion of that. Ash didn't know what to say at all, but kept his eyes transfixed upon Aidan, who nodded to Tau. Diantha was also looking at him, lips pursed with disapproval.

"Where have you been, Aidan? The situation has worsened since you vanished after contacting us in Nova Town," she told him. He gave no reaction to that, other than pushing up on his bent glasses while he surveyed her and the room at large.

"I went to visit Olympia," he answered, though it didn't receive the utterly shocked reaction he might have been looking for. He continued on, regardless of if it had netted him his desired result. "Her words and what everyone is suggesting here all but confirms it: the world is heading for the final tipping point."

"So that's what you meant, Squishy?" Bonnie asked, holding up the green blob to the air. "The world is sick because of all the tipping points and destruction as stuff, which means if we don't stop them from doing all those horrible things…"

"The world will meet its incontrovertible end."

"I don't think that's what they want to happen," Ash said. His own words drew the attention of Aidan now, staring at him sideways with a cold fury that was directed elsewhere. "Or at least, that's not exactly what they want. Deirdre said they wanted to create a 'new and perfect world'. Maybe their intention wasn't to destroy this one."

"But it will, regardless," Y informed them all. He didn't join them at the table, but addressed them from the place near the doors, keeping distance. "All of this destruction is sickening the world, has been since the first destructive event many millennia ago, with the meteor that split in two. They're going to try to create their own new world all right, but it will be explicitly tied to the demise of this one. That may be why you suspect they're calling Ho-oh, thanks to its regenerative properties. From there, it may just be about gaining control of it at its fullest strength to enact their plans."

"That sounds way too confusing," Ash commented, folding his arms. There were a few chuckles scattered around the room. None, however, was louder than Nanu, who seemed to find Ash's comment the best kind of the year.

"That's the way to do it, Ketchum," Nanu finished laughing out. People finally stopped their own laughing or embarrassed staring to look right at Nanu, who began to grin as he continued leaning, tossing his carton of noodles to the side. No one moved to clean it up. "Who cares about the complications? This is a  _battle_  you're all facing, not a science fair. I'm sure more than a few of you will agree with me."

"Hell yeah," Guzma yelled out, slamming his fists together. He wasn't alone, with Seamus and Alain particularly joining in with their own cries of agreement towards the man. Nanu's grin didn't drop, even as Clemont chose to address him.

"Then if the battle is what matters, what can you tell us about IDEAL? You know them the best," the blond inventor said. Nanu now dropped the grin, like he was considering what he actually wanted to share, his sight meeting with Lance's a couple times.

"Hm…well, that's a complicated issue," the man spoke. He once more leaned against the counter, tapping his foot with consideration. "Let's put it this way: this group gathered here at the Hub is a bunch of ragtag trainers from all different regions with no experience of truly working together outside of a few crises."

"Pretty sure this qualifies as one," Paul scoffed out. Nanu inclined his head, indicating that he'd be correct. "So, are you going to keep screwing with us or actually tell us what we need to know in order to stop the pathetic idiots that think it's a good idea to destroy the world for their own 'perfect' one?"

"Fine," Nanu snapped out, looking annoyed now. Though, Ash figured he could only tell that because he knew Nanu's default expressions were "bored" and "even more bored". The man sighed. "Up to this point, you've all fought relatively unorganized groups. From what I know, the most organized group you've dealt with would either be that Team Flare or DARC or whatever they're called; I don't care."

"IDEAL is different," Lance pointed out with a heavy sigh. Ash didn't take his eyes away from Nanu while the Champion was speaking. "They're not people who were slapped together because they believed in some vision, or because they're under the command of one person, or anything like that. They are a team, through and through, with Deirdre as their leader."

"Why didn't you tell us this before the battle at Mount Lanakila?" Seamus demanded, sounding rather angry about the whole thing. "That could have seriously helped before the entire place was blown up!"

"Because there was no time, and I wasn't aware of the extent of their plan. Now there is. And now I do, so shut up," Nanu insisted. Seamus scowled, but didn't argue back, while Nanu went on with his own explanation. "These five went through everything together. Their loyalty is unquestioning; their convictions unwavering. Believe me, I would know. There wasn't a single mission they failed…except for the last one they disappeared on."

"Do you think that's what made them decide to do this?" Serena asked. Nanu shrugged, indicating that he didn't have the answer whatsoever.

"No idea. I just know that they never had problems, except for the hiccup where they toned down the number of missions taken. In hindsight, that mission might have changed something inside them, but like their final mission, those details have long since been lost," Nanu explained. He sighed at the end and moved his gaze carefully around the room like a cat, staring at each of them while beginning to smirk. "But it's not their convictions that make them dangerous. Your opponents before were dangerous because of their ability to get in your head, or perhaps because what they wanted to accomplish was so crazy that it made them a threat.

"And sure, that probably applies to IDEAL just as well. But what you have to worry about more with them is their sheer level of  _skill_. Their teamwork, their individual strengths, their cunning, and their willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve what they want."

"A new world…" Diantha breathed out, sounding almost sickened by the concept of it. Ash had to agree with that particular notion regarding it. IDEAL seemed to think it was okay to completely kill off anyone they could, because they could just start anew, like those lives didn't even matter in any single way. It made Ash pissed.

"They'll do whatever it takes to reach that thing, and they'll bring every single ability of theirs to bear; ones they've cultivated in silence the last decade or two," Nanu grinned out to all of them. The man's body seemed to be twitching, like he was getting ready for the big battle ahead. "You wonder why they waited until now? Maybe it was because of needing to wait to use Ho-oh or some other nonsensical reason, but the truth is, they're getting ready. Louise, the Intelligence, with her army of drones, along with both engineering and medical expertise makes her a force that can take control in seconds, even if her strength is lacking to the others. Alastair, the Defense, is an expert at controlling wild Pokémon to do his bidding. He and Louise are the two biggest threats on IDEAL's team in terms of the early sway of the battlefield."

"Then you have Tolbert, the Explosion," Lance continued with the description of the foes they'd be facing. "Ash, you've no doubt experienced his fiery intensity long before Lanakila. While Louise and Alastair are the linchpin of a defensive strategy that can change and be fluid, Tolbert has the highest record of just wiping out the enemy. Meanwhile, Matori the Assassin is someone you just have to be on the lookout for. Hiding in plain sight, you've seen the damage she can do, especially as she changes as needed for the mission: name, looks, manner. All of it. She's someone of infinite patience, and the ability to blend in like a shadow. She  _will_  kill you before you blink."

"And Deirdre is obvious…the leader," Ash said. His fingers reached down and began to drum upon the table rapidly, deep in thought. "So, if we take her out, does IDEAL go down, too?"

"Don't count on it," Nanu barked out. "They're a team through and through, five men strong. If one falls, the others just pick up the slack. Cut off the head of the Ekans, the body will move on its own, but be enraged."

"Yeah, well, that's no problem for us!" Ash said, reaching his foot up to a chair and slamming the appendage down upon it with a grin. The others gravitated to him, even Paul, who scoffed with a light smile. "We're just the same. Where one of us falls down, the other is there to pick them back up! But we don't want to sacrifice anyone.  _That's_  how we're different from them! We won't just fight harder for the fallen, but take the fallen by the hand and pull them back up again!"

"And if you want to do that, taking them on one by one won't offer you a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding," Nanu pointed out briskly. To that, Ash decided to listen to what he had to say. "You take IDEAL on at the same time and do whatever you can to take each and every one out simultaneously. Don't let them tag team you. Don't give them the chance to lick their wounds. Take out their entire damn army and show them not to screw with our world!"

Silence rang around the room at Nanu's definitive statement, and Ash found himself sharing a grin across the table with the man. He wasn't the only one there enjoying the declaration that Nanu had just laid down. Kahili slammed her own golf club (Ash having no idea where it had come from) on to the floor, while Alain and Sawyer looked to each other with a smirk. Astrid slammed her fist into her open palm, and Ash noticed that even Paul couldn't help the pleased smirk stretching his face. They were more than ready for their battle.

"Having a battle strategy is all well and good," Diantha sighed out, "but the issue now becomes finding where this battle will take place to begin with, and how Ho-oh ties into this and the meteonite."

"Well, Ho-oh is a phoenix, right?" Gary suggested. "It has the power to return to life the things that have died. If they're hoping to create a new world, maybe they need to combine its power with the meteonite or something. I mean, in some way, Ho-oh could be seen as the sun and the meteonite, being the Alpha, is known as the beginning: the sun."

"It's a solid conjecture, but nothing concrete," Clemont noted. Ash looked to his friend, deep in contemplation. He had to wonder if Clemont was perturbed by the information regarding those drones; he never did take misuse of technology lightly. "I can definitely see it, if not how Ash could tie in.…but now we have to figure out how they plan to call Ho-oh there."

"That part's easy," Y insisted from his place against the door. He was waving his hand as they all listened to what he had to say. "They shifted the power. Professor Burnet, you mentioned how the events have made the world sick, which means it's worked harder to repair itself since the portals to other dimensions have been closed. It stands to make sense, then, that with the Alpha and the Omega having determined the course with their impact so very long ago, they want to make use of that connection. From there, it's just the principle the Draconids employed with Rayquaza: cause enough death and destruction to call the one now bound to the meteorite."

"Ooh, that sounds very plausible," Burnet commented, clacking away at her computer. The diagram on the screen changed once again. Now there were lines, and the diagram was moving, showing flowing arrows that ran inwards. "The Alpha stands as the beginning, and they've drawn power into it, and now, to complete the cycle of the world energy, they connect it to the same space of the Omega. That makes it so one spot is drawn to as the ills of all the world. They might just need a trigger once they get it there…"

"The Omega…" Ash spoke in a near whisper, causing Serena to turn to him and look at him in confusion. "Like she said…where the Alpha and the Omega meet."

"Which is what we've been trying to figure out for ourselves," Aidan said. His glasses slid down his face as he stared across. His eyes swept along everyone there, lingering on his son for a second before snapping back around to Ash and Serena. "It was a theory to look into, but if it was all involved, we looked into locating the Omega, and we believe we found it. After all, it was the beginning of the end. The end of the path we began walking together. We just didn't know it then."

"Ancien City."

The air in the room took on a very palpable change at Y's announcement, and that came as no surprise to anyone. Ancien City. Ash looked to Serena. It was where everything had changed for the two of them; where he had realized that he loved the woman next to him. Where they had fought tooth and nail for that scrabble of hope against Zinnia. Now, it was to be the site of their final battle.

"But the meteorites were gone," Serena commented. "They vanished after our battle with the Draconids. I wished it. We all saw it."

"And Rayquaza destroyed the other one to begin with," Clemont pointed out. Y nodded, folding his arms, and soon decided to address their concerns. To do so, he stood up straight and walked closer. Across the table, Diantha was clearing Burnet's diagrams off and telling the IRCS to search for someone, but Ash didn't hear the name.

"Yes, but the Omega was such a catastrophic event in the history of the world. It's such lost knowledge that I don't blame anyone for not knowing. I never even cared until I had nothing left to research in Alola," Y explained. "In fact, it's doubtful that anyone could know that while the meteorites there vanished, the effects lingered on beneath the ground. Those that you saw, those that disappeared were mere artifacts. Fragments like the meteonite is of the Alpha. But the Omega…it's  _ingrained_  into Ancien City. You could excavate all you want and still not find it all."

"So, that's what they want to take advantage of, is it? The two meteorites and the destruction associated with them, just as the Draconids attempted, hmm?" Diantha asked. It caused Y to nod in acknowledgement. That seemed just in time, as a pair of all too familiar faces soon appeared on the screen in front of them, both seeming surprised, though neither reacting much more. "My apologies for the intrusion, Mayor Chrissy, Former Mayor Aston."

"What a surprise! In all my years, I never thought I'd be speaking with Champion Diantha, of all people," Aston chuckled out, his eyes twinkling kindly. However, while his eyes were kind, Ash noticed that they soon hardened, showing that he was more than aware this was not a social call. "But from the expression, this isn't to report anything good, or the winner of the Champion Tournament."

"I would say you know full well what's going on," Diantha said sharply. The current mayor leaned in, adjusting her glasses and nodding. Maka's message had more than done its job of informing the public to be on edge. However, despite being the mayor, she allowed Aston to take the reins of conversation.

"Hmm, I have an idea, yes," he confessed. "That you're contacting me only tells me it was for a reason."

"Yes," was Diantha's curt response. Ash took his foot down from the chair and began moving along the table's surface. Serena reached for him, clasping to him as he made his way to the front. Both Diantha and Aston caught sight of him, the latter smiling toothily at his approach while Diantha sighed, like she expected it.

"Ancien City is about to be attacked, and the people doing it aren't interested in talking it out," Ash stated definitively. "They're going to make sure people are hurt no matter what, whether it's the citizens or anyone in their way. No choice about it." Aston's lips moved a little bit, but he eventually focused his own stern expression and leaned forward.

"When?" was the first response.

"We're guessing at three days," Serena answered him. Aston's fingers now laced together, contemplating it. "Is that enough time to move the citizens out?"

"No…not to go anywhere; not with how much the city's grown. Although, I guess there are the maintenance halls in the stadium. They're easy enough to access since we redesigned to add another, higher hall for safety after the Debacle…If not that, there should be enough cellars beneath the castle…" Aston looked over to Chrissy, who was already walking out of the room. The older man sat back now, still wearing the intense expression upon his face. "You're sure, though? Absolutely?"

"Yes," Ash said. He walked forward a little bit, and before anyone knew it, he had pressed to a button. The Champions all acted in surprise as the IRCS was connected to everyone that was at the Hub, and across the world. It was an act of impulse, but speaking to Aston, he knew the words needed to be spoken. "Ancien City is about to be attacked by IDEAL. They're going to attack in the hopes of wiping out everything we hold dear to us, no matter who has to fall to do it. Friends. Family. Pokémon. If we allow them to get the meteonite into the city and give them the time and chance to attempt what they want to; if we allow them even an inch, the world we've all fought for the last decade won't be our world.

"So, we need to stand together! One more time! How many times have we stood against that darkness? How many times have we come out on the other side, scarred but victorious? Let's do it again, one more time!"

"This is the final tipping point," Serena said, looking straight at Aston. The man nodded, understanding at last what needed to be done. "If we win here…if we hold the line here, then everything we've fought for will be worth it."

"So, everyone! Get ready, because we're heading into a battle we can't escape, not only for our world, but for our very selves. Because we're not like them, and we'll prove it by holding on to and protecting everything we hold dear!" At Ash's words, he lifted his fist high into the air. It wasn't the biggest speech in the world, but Serena was by his side, raising her own fist. All around the room, determined smiles and grins were put on everyone's faces, each of them raising their arms, from the youngest in Bonnie, to even the former Team Rocket members that were standing proudly. Even Pikachu scampered over and raised his own. The Champions watched each other, and then joined him. Once again, they were united.

The details of Ancien City and moving the citizens to safety within its confines would come. The battle plan would be figured out. Everything would be set for them. That would all come in time, Ash knew. The others were no doubt already figuring all of that out. But none of that mattered with the enormity of what Ash had said, and particularly what he was about to say; because they were the words that mattered most and had always driven everyone forward. That was all they needed to be ready for the battle to come in three days' time at Ancien City.

"Everyone, this is our final battle! Let's make it the best we've ever fought together. For our world, we're never giving up until the very end! Let's go!"

* * *

"Such a lonely place." Deirdre's solemn voice echoed across the great scorched plains, long abandoned by civilization. Weeds had grown upwards, covering the dead rocks, hiding all the blood that had once been shed that day. Behind her, the crunching of her comrades' feet was heard and she couldn't help but smile. "It's hard to believe that so long ago, this was believed to be an innocuous plain."

"This is where his own sin finally bore fruit," Toll commented, leaning against one of the rocks. He seemed to get a dirty look from Alastair, by Deirdre's estimations in the moonlight, but neither said a word. Louise walked over to one of the broken rocks, touching it, like she was examining its substance.

"How I wish I could have been there that day," the mint-green haired woman said, running her hand along the surface. No one commented on the action, though Deirdre could see Alastair throwing his gaze back, where the shadows gathered in the darkness, gathering the Pokémon for war. "Unfortunately, we'd already decided to play the long game and infiltrate Team Rocket by then."

"It worked out in the end, yeah? Or do you have regrets, Matori?" Toll asked, tucking some of his shaggy hair behind his ear with a smile. Matori regarded him with cold eyes, standing straight.

"My mission and allegiances have remained as the same forever. No other room for sympathy." Matori turned away following her statement, while Toll shrugged. Louise bumped her shoulder against his before moving to lean against the dead rock alongside him.

"You know Matori; always the mission first, and this is our biggest."

"Yes, it is…IDEAL's final mission…for real this time," Deirdre chuckled out. The others all silenced themselves and looked over to her. She looked forward, towards the last remaining remnants of the husk of that battle. She walked forward, silently, over the grass. When she reached that giant base, her gaze was drawn downwards, staring at the spot of scorched grass, the only area where the weeds had been forbidden to grow. She couldn't help but laugh once more.

Where death touched, nothing could rebuild. Not on its own.

"Everything is almost ready, Deirdre," Alastair spoke. "The Alpha is active, and all that's needed is the connection, and our special catalyst."

"Yes," Deirdre agreed, her shadow rippling slightly in the moonlight and the breeze. "But there's no doubt they'll stand in our way, just as expected. That man was a fool for not seeing it coming all that time ago. Thankfully, in the end, we really did make the right choice, staking things this far on them. But no longer."

"How long do you need, Alastair?" Matori asked, gazing over to the man. Alastair turned his head back, and large footsteps began to shake the entire hilltop they were upon. Emerging from the shadows were the lumbering forms of Pokémon, hulking, ready to do their bidding for the battle that was about to explode.

"This takes some time, especially doing so in transit…I'd estimate three days, on schedule," the man answered her. Matori nodded, seemingly pleased with that answer. "Then, we move on Ancien City."

"Sweet, leave time," Toll grinned out. Deirdre shook her head. After so many years together, they were ever the same people, and she adored that about them. "It's been such a long time. Louise, mind sharpening the old explosive enhancers."

"Ever the workaholic, though I have no reason to complain," Louise agreed, tossing her arms up. The two seemed nearly bored with the proceedings, interacting amongst themselves while Matori remained silent. Alastair, however, approached.

"Yes, I know. No need to say anything, Alastair," Deirdre breathed out under her breath. "I have no current intentions of you keeping your promise to me, believe me. In the end, I am resolved that our own convictions will win out. We've spent years tempering them in that raging inferno. Ash Ketchum, all the Champions, those trainers that will attempt to stop us…they will not. No matter how much we'd like them for the new world. No matter that blood we need for the final stage…we will succeed."

"I have no fear of that," Alastair stated, his hand reaching up to grip at the left side of his face, like the moon reflecting off the rocks was blinding him. "Just…we'll finally…we've waited so long."

"Yes. Yes, we have," she breathed, staring down to her legs, a small tuft of pollen traveling between them. She laughed once more and leaned down, reaching to touch the grass, but thinking better of it.

"Just three more days," Alastair confirmed. Deirdre smiled, and spoke to the one that wasn't there.

"Well, it's come this far, Michael," she said, the soft smile turning into a rather lopsided smirk. "Your rules against ours. You fell here for all your troubles, but now we'll end the game. You're in checkmate thanks to our new world. All that's left is battling with the one who proved your vision wrong; drawing out all of their power in that one great moment to tie it all together in conclusion to our long, long conflict. Once that happens…

"The curtain will close for this world and reach a new world at long last."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Heavy, heavy dialogue chapter. Probably the last heavy dialogue chapter. A lot of stuff thrown at you here from final tipping points, to the Alpha, to the Omega to Ho-oh, it's really just a lot of craziness! More than that, the site of the final battle is here: Ancien City, where the entire series began. I think it's only fitting, don't you? That said, get ready for the action that won't stop, because that's right where we're heading. The lore is given. The stage is set. Time for battle!
> 
> We're heading into the final stretch of the story now, so I hope you'll enjoy it more than ever. Until that time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	18. A Siege

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here begins the climax of this fic, and of the Ancienverse. There's a been a lot of work put into this one, so I hope you enjoy the riveting ride. Let's read Chapter 18!

Chapter 18

A Siege

_Knock knock._

Serena jolted awake at the loud noise of knuckles rapping on the door. Sitting up abruptly and feeling the blood rush to her head, she realized that she'd hardly noticed herself having fallen asleep at all. There was the sound of water running in the room, that of a shower in the connected bathroom, and Serena rubbed at her temples. There was another knock at the door.

"Just a second!" the honey blonde called up, moving to stand and collect her blouse from the floor. Right next to them were Ash's pair of pants, something she also picked up and folded, bringing it over to the closed bathroom door and slipping them inside. That done, Serena slipped her blouse back on, making sure it didn't look too disheveled. As she strode back to the door, Serena's gaze slipped out of the window, high in the air and looking out over the city, the signs of preparatory activity and a mass exodus evident from sight. She sighed; it had been a long two days. Running a hand through her hair, Serena turned away from the window, smoothed her skirt and opened the door, revealing Astrid, hand raised, as if about to knock again.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up," the blonde said, her tone stiff and rigid. Serena smiled apologetically as she let Astrid into the room. The water shut off.

"I fell asleep…must have needed the rest after the last two days of work," she told her friend. Astrid nodded, walking forward into the hotel room and staring out through the large window, herself. Serena made to join her, adjusting her clothes a little more.

When they reached the window, both of the women were silent, though Serena felt she could detect Astrid's sense of determination as the dawn rose over Ancien City. The honey blonde looked out, getting a glimpse of the large city that was before them. They had spent all of the last couple days, since their meeting at the League Hub, moving the civilians to the castle and the cellars beneath, per Aston's orders. On top of it, they also planned other protection measures, with the scientists putting their heads together to find a way to protect the castle, though struggling to find something peerless. Not to mention, people like Ash were taking the time to contact those who held their Pokémon, summoning them there for the battle in droves. In that time, numerous others had joined up, flocking to the city where the battle would take place, all sensing with anticipation what would drop that morning. The Champions and other battle experts had all begun to craft their plans and strategies, and while Serena had begun to know them all by heart, it still left her uneasy and on edge.

Thankfully, Diantha had given them twelve hours of leave. While some spent their time working on fortifying the city, like Clemont and Korrina, others sought to have a bit more fun, or train themselves up for the upcoming battle. Ash had done a bit of both, but the woman standing next to her had poured all of her time into preparing for the upcoming battle. It certainly made her prickly in the now early morning hours.

"Astrid, is everything all right?" Serena spoke, reaching out and touching her shoulder. The blonde didn't react, continuing to stare at the city before heaving a sigh.

"He won't be battling today," she exhaled out tiredly. Serena knew in seconds who she was talking about. "I'll do my part, then, and take out the one who prevented that. It just…scares me, a bit."

"Yes," Serena said. She wasn't sure what else to say. She hadn't been particularly close with Rocky, but the loss of him on Mount Chimney had no less palpable of an effect, especially among the members of Team Nova. Not that that was any surprise, especially given their current position of Ancien City. Even with little Thea remaining at the League Hub with some sitters (a fact Serena found amusing in an almost dark sense), Christopher and Bethany were prepared for battle here in the city. "We're all scared, because these people want to destroy everything we've worked so hard to build; everything Rocky sacrificed himself for. They're willing to do whatever they need to in order to make that happen."

"So, you're scared, too?" Astrid asked, still not looking to her. Serena nodded, but she still continued smiling. She was absolutely frightened; something that even the night with Ash had been unable to resolve inside her. She knew he was frightened, too. Could feel it in his body, like a manuscript that was written upon him. But she also knew that for all of them, it wasn't a fear for themselves, but a fear for the future to come if IDEAL succeeded. "Well, that's a relief, then. I'm glad I'm not alone."

"You never are," Serena insisted. The door to the bathroom opened, Ash walking out, fully clothed (to Serena's great relief). "We're all so scared, our fingers are trembling with fear and fury. But that's why we keep moving forward and support each other, like Ash said."

"What did I say now?" Ash asked, finishing with drying his hair and tossing his towel onto one of the beds of the Ancien Grand Hotel. Astrid finally turned away from the window to look at the married couple, a tinge of sadness in her eyes.

"Never giving up, Ash," Astrid said to him, smirking in his direction. "What is it now? Ancien Warriors and the Nova Nine, or most of them, all teaming up for one final rumble? Better survive. I plan to."

"Definitely," Ash said, still wearing a rather confused expression upon his face. Serena had to giggle at her husband's expression, but chose to say nothing more as Astrid walked from the room. Before she left entirely, she turned back, looking towards all of them.

"Diantha says the briefing is in half an hour; best to hurry," she delivered to them, and then she was gone. Ash reached upward, stretching a bit while his wife came towards him. The moment he stopped, they intertwined hands again, making their way from the room. Once more, Serena could feel the anticipation within her husband, no doubt mingled with her own. They knew everything that was on the line as they stepped into the hallway and headed for the elevator.

"You're ready?" she chose to voice once the elevator started going down, leaving them in relative silence with each other. Ash looked to her, a confident grin splayed on his face.

"Of course!" Ash insisted, pointing at his chest. "Tracey and Professor Oak already sent over all of my big guns to help defend the city, and Pikachu will be right alongside me. Not to mention mom's giving all her support from Pallet Town, just like yours. How about you?"

"More than ready," Serena answered, her free hand going towards her own pokeballs that were there, each rustling for action. The elevator hit the ground floor, and the couple stepped out to the lobby.

To neither of their surprises, it was absolutely packed, nearly every major space taken up by a trainer. Not wanting to be crushed by anyone else moving into the lobby, the two surged into the crowd, hoping to find any of their friends. Up front, by where some Nurse Joys were treating Pokémon, readying them for the battle ahead, were the Champions and Aston, each set up by large screens that would no doubt be used to relay the battle plans, and further techs (like Kenneth and Conway) operating the screens. Neither Ash nor Serena took any real notice of that, choosing instead to keep moving through the crowd.

As they both did so, Serena could catch sight of so many old friends and allies. From Miette and Sawyer, who were discussing matters with the solemn-faced Shauna, Tierno and Trevor, to the equally battle-ready Alain and Mairin. To the sides looked to be Professor Sycamore and Meyer, both seeming almost jovial with some other Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, as the scores of trainer-owned Pokémon could be seen gathered behind them, out in the streets, including Ash's own. Paul was somewhere in the crowd, standing silently by Gladion, who kept a watch on Guzma, Plumeria, and the rest of the organization that had come to battle. He had just as much attention split towards Lillie and Hau, the former resting her head on the latter's shoulder, like she hadn't quite gotten the sleep she wanted (Hau was definitely the early riser of the two). Even more strange (or less, depending on one's point of view) were Brock and Aria, though the former wasn't flirting at all, but seemingly describing some sense of medical corps strategies.

"We'll want to keep them mostly near the hub here at the hotel, since it's relatively at the center of the city," Brock was suggesting. Aria nodded her head.

"Yes, that sounds best," the pinkette agreed, reaching out to touch Brock's shoulder and offer him a kiss on the cheek. "You always know just what to do in situations like this. The Champions have their battle strategies, but we have to be ready to adapt on the fly."

"Yes, ma'am!" Brock called, saluting her. He only stopped when Croagunk raised a purple-glowing fist and chuckled menacingly. Serena shook her head while Ash chuckled nervously, and they passed by another trio that she swore to herself she hadn't seen in forever (even if they looked not a day older), finally remembering correctly as Bruce, Trent and Portia…or she believed those were their names.

"Man, can't believe he got so lucky with the Kalos Queen," Bruce snapped angrily, his gaze looking at Brock and Aria with a rather jealous expression. Trent slapped him on the back comfortingly while Portia regarded them with rolling eyes.

"Don't worry about a thing, bro," Trent told to him. "When we go back to Unova, you'll see all the women way better than Aria."

"Tch," Portia scoffed out, turning away. For a second, Serena felt she looked almost somewhat familiar, reminding her of an old acquaintance of sorts, just younger, but she pushed that away at the sight of them all finally approaching the rest of their friends. They were all standing together in a large huddle that took up the whole center of the room.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, hopping onto his shoulder from Dawn's (which he had shared with Piplup).

"Everyone ready?" Ash asked as he reached them all. The majority of the responses he received from that were nods, mostly from Kahili, Clemont, Korrina and others. Only Dawn and Bonnie reacted any differently.

"No need to worry!" they said simultaneously, slapping their hands together. Some other small distance away, Seamus also offered a curt nod at the statement, with Christopher and Bethany right next to him, alongside Merry, each of them with a soured expression. Max just rolled his eyes at Bonnie's exuberance, his foot already healed, though not in a prime position for running. Ash seemed to like hearing that, because he exhaled in relief, just as Diantha's voice began to boom across the lobby.

"Everyone, it's time!" she yelled out. Ash was the first to turn towards Diantha as the Champion stepped on to the stage, finally calling them all to attention. Everyone, however, quieted down almost instantly. Once they had, Diantha turned to the screen, where a diagram of Ancien City appeared, mapping the entire place out. Each of them paid attention, even though they had spent all their time coming up with the battle strategy the last two days, and were more than intimately familiar with it in the first place. Diantha waited and continued on. "IDEAL is about strike any time today, and we must be ready.

"To prepare ourselves for the upcoming battle, we'll go over the battle plan one last time in preparation for it. There are three major areas of the city we've chosen to defend. With the aid of former Mayor Aston and current Mayor Chrissy, we've managed a successful evacuation of the citizens to Ancien Castle and the cellars there, packed as it may be. To keep them safe, we'll be sending a small but technologically equipped force to deal with the defenses there, regardless of whether their plans are foolproof. Molayne, you'll be in charge of the force that will contain Clemont, Korrina, Bonnie, Max, Lillie, Hau and Sophocles for the defense, alongside Plumeria and Aether Foundation employees. I'm sure you've already worked out your own micromanaging system. This defense is very important, especially if IDEAL needs to shed yet more blood to activate what they wish, so keeping the citizenry safe is vital."

"Following that, others, such as myself, Lance and Alder will defend the stadium and the surrounding squares," Cynthia spoke. "Like the defense of Ancien Castle, this is just as vital. With such a wide-open space of the stadium, we hope to make it seem like we are defending the populace with a show of force there to try and divert them away from the castle. Mayor Aston's rather public announcement regarding the stadium's mechanical safety redesign since the Debacle should help in convincing our enemy that the populace could be gathered there beneath the coliseum. Assisting us will be ARC and various other trainers. Naturally, we still hope that not too many of the enemy's forces get there, but we also realize it's inevitable, given IDEAL's skills."

"No worries about that!" Ash yelled from the crowd. Some still looked at him while others remained watching the diagrams. Serena, however, looked at her husband while he spoke, Pikachu appearing ready on his shoulder. "Latias is going to be guarding the air, along with our own aerial forces. Charizard and Talonflame have been looking for a good fight, and they know what's at stake here."

"We'll rely on that compilation of you trainers' aerial Pokémon to defend the air," Diantha picked back up. The reassurance that they wouldn't just be relegated to fighting on the ground certainly seemed to have bolstered them, especially Alain, who was gripping his wrist with the readiness for battle. "As for the rest of the city, we need to take equal care in defending it. We'll scatter others throughout the city at strategic points like City Hall and the Meteorite Square, while our base will remain here at the Ancien Grand for the ease of communicating."

"Everyone, make sure you hold on to your walkies!" Clemont shouted out now from his position, raising his hand into the air that was holding to the walkies and displaying them all. Ash took one from him, nodding sharply. "This'll be vital if the plan ever changes."

"On top of it," Diantha continued on, once more riveting the attention fully back upon her, "we'll need to keep the command center here safe, not only for a rallying point, but also to protect the medical corps so they can carry out their duties. To that effect, we'll keep some of our strongest trainers near to here, such as Paul, Kahili, Seamus and the like. You already have your orders. Other strong trainers will be leading the forces on other sections of the city, including the border. We want to secure that meteonite  _no matter what_. One of IDEAL likely has the meteonite on their person, so the obvious goal is to defeat them and take it from them. We cannot allow them to use it in tandem with the Omega at all costs. As for Ash…"

"Me and Serena will stay on the move," Ash announced to everyone. At this point, everyone actually did turn towards them, and Serena smiled at all of them, continuing to offer that reassurance for them. For the younger trainers that had gathered there, it bolstered them immensely, while the older trainers that knew her all seemed to be reminded of past events. "We don't know if what Deirdre told Giovanni about me is actually a lie, so I need to be careful. In the meantime, we'll keep our eyes out for Deirdre, as well. She targeted us before so maybe we can engage her then. Team Rocket…er…Jessie, James and Meowth, you guys'll keep watch on us from the air."

"You got it, twoip!" Meowth stated, sharpening his claws with a malicious expression. Even James and Jessie joined in, looking like they were ready to kick it into high gear.

"We've always got your back, twerp!" James proclaimed and Jessie finished it off with cackling loudly alongside Wobbuffet. Ash grinned at the three of them while Serena looked to Jessie, nodding at her past rival. Now that the three were fully free from Team Rocket, they truly looked to be striking out in a new direction, even if Serena wasn't sure of what that direction would be quite yet. Knowing they'd be working actively to protect them, oddly enough, seemed more than reassuring. Ash stepped forward.

"All right, then! We all know what we're doing, right, Diantha? Defending Ancien City and taking on all of IDEAL at the same time?" Ash asked of the Champion above. The actress nodded her head. "Then let's not waste any more time. This is the fight for our world! Everyone, you and your Pokémon, both, give it your all!"

"YEAH!" came the combined cry of everyone there, raising their fists into the air alongside Ash. It felt almost ironic, repeating it all in the place that it first originated. As soon as they lowered, that feeling of the breath before the plunge settled in once more.

The battle wouldn't begin when IDEAL arrived; it was beginning right now, moving out to their assignments.

Ash didn't move out right away, however, looking over to the rest of his friends. Brock joined them there, holding to his medical equipment for the field. He stared at all of them, and they stared right back. From May to Dawn, looking fierce, and then Iris, Cilan and Misty, each determined. Lillie and Hau, ready to battle together; Bonnie and Max, offering each other a fistbump; and even Clemont stood tall, his glasses shining in the light of the pristine hotel as his hand came away from Korrina's. Ash watched them all and breathed in. Outside, his own collection of Pokémon, alongside those of his friends and rivals, could be seen even clearer, some looking in, as though sensing his intentions. Serena smiled and placed a hand to her stomach, closing her eyes as if in a moment of prayer.

"Everyone…I know this is a lot to ask, but…" Ash breathed out, staring squarely at each of them in turn. "Please journey with me, one more time."

There was silence following his request, and then Misty was the one to step forward, offering her hand into the center of their large group. Some, like Maka and Keoni (the former dragging the latter), stuck around to watch, but most of the lobby cleared itself out before Misty spoke. "Until the very end."

And with her words, they all threw their hands in as a promise: a promise for each of them to move forward and survive until the end of the battle. No matter what happened, each of them would be there and do that. When Serena put her hand in, she felt that strength flowing through all of them, smiling to each and every one of them. That emboldened them, and when their hands separated, they all walked away, feeling as though they were grasping to a piece of each other. Following that, all but Ash and Serena turned away, aiming to leave the hotel and heading for their destined places, with Korrina dragging Clemont the most. Kahili tossed a look back to Ash, as if insisting he not die. Ash seemed to smirk and held a fist up in challenge. That was good enough for his sister-figure.

"Well, how about you, Serena? Ready?" Ash asked. Serena nodded, gripping two pokeballs and calling them out. Braixen and Sylveon appeared, each ready for the battle ahead while Pikachu hopped to the ground, cheeks sparking. Seeing that, Ash and Serena took each other's hand, and after a final look back to the Champions, made to leave the hotel, themselves.

Perhaps it was the strangeness of having no milling civilians around, but the town seemed so empty. Or not empty, but as though it was holding a breath it was waiting to exhale. Trainers were taking position around the large tower that was the hotel, while others were moving off to various parts of the city. Each was calling a Pokémon out, standing strong in front of them and ready to fight. Amongst them all, Serena noticed Paul's Torterra and Electivire, along with Nanu's Persian. Most notable of all, however, were Ash's own Pokémon, called en masse from Tracey and Professor Oak at his lab. They all came forward or circled around in the air to greet him.

"Everyone, I'm glad you could make it and fight with me. I know it took a lot of work to get you all here, but I know we can pull it off," Ash spoke to them all, walking along the cobblestone streets to wherever the couple would make their first destination. Bayleef was the only one to call out at Serena's presence, greeting her happily and nuzzling her, which Serena did back. "So, my only commands as your trainer and friend are these: don't die, and protect everyone! Don't worry about me, because Serena will have my back. So, take care of as many as you can."

"RAWWWWR!" Charizard roared, a column of fire splitting the air in a brilliant blaze of glory. Serena drew inspiration and courage from that. Ash and all of his Pokémon were ready to fight, and now the rest was up to them. With Charizard's signal, it seemed to be a note for everyone to finish getting themselves into position, all of Ash's Pokémon scattering, some on their own, others (like Snivy and Oshawott) in groups.

"Ash, where do we plan to go first?" the honey blonde asked of her husband once they'd all split off in numerous directions. Pikachu remained on Ash's shoulder, staring up at the sky, his ears twitching slightly. It felt like proof that the battle was closer to than farther from.

"Okay, got it!" Ash said, throwing his fist on top of his palm. Serena looked at him, but he reached over to grab her hand and began pulling her towards the site of battle…or wherever he was taking her. Around the entire city, screens began to activate, like they had on the final day of the Kalos Team Tournament. On most of them seemed to be Conway and Gladion's faces before they started shifting over, showcasing different areas of the town via the camera on the buildings.

"Testing, this is Conway…Dawn, can you see my face? Heh heh heh," Conway chuckled out. It wasn't very long before they heard Dawn's response coming through the screens, showing that she, May, Misty and Iris were stationed at the City Hall.

"More than I'd like to!" she shouted. It only took a moment for Conway's face to be pushed back, revealing Diantha and Steven's faces as the leaders of the battle, both Champions looking rather regal, even though they were dressed as normal. Behind them seemed to be the medical corps, including Aria, and the technological crew, led by Conway and supported by the once familiar Kenneth. However, Serena also looked to see who was stationed elsewhere before the couple finally came to a stop, only briefly noting those by the stadium, and trainers like Gary, Cilan and Sawyer in one of the squares. Alain seemed to have taken to the air alongside Team Rocket (Serena really couldn't help but call them that), while Maka and Keoni had taken point in Meteorite Square with Acerola and what looked like Ilima, Kukui and the surprising Miss Akela, each saluting at the screens.

"So, you decided to come here for a vantage point?" called the ever-familiar voice of Serena's father, causing her to turn and do a double take. At last, she realized just where Ash had taken her to: the bridge he had once fought Sawyer and…Rocky…upon. "It's a good spot. We'll just have to be wary of any water Pokémon."

"We'll make it work," Ash told his father-in-law, grinning at the man. Y stepped forward and the two clasped hands like they were longtime partners. Beyond them, Serena could see the remainder of the Kalosian Gym Leaders, led by Malva and her Houndoom, defending the border with other, younger trainers. "The bridge is slightly higher I think, so it'll work. Now we just have to wait. Ready, Pikachu?"

"Picha!" Pikachu agreed, flexing his muscles. Serena looked to Braixen and Sylveon both, the two of them nodding and ready for battle. Even her father's Hydreigon looked ready to let loose. The three of them moved forward to stand in the middle of the bridge. To the sides, Serena could see other trainers preparing, and those in the forest ahead of them standing still.

The air grew quiet. The sun rose over the trees entirely, signaling the true start of the new day. Serena breathed in, drawing closer to her husband, while her father placed his foot forward. The anticipation was killing her inside as Ancien City began to glow with the sunlight, the light reflecting off the screens that showed their different positions. Y's brow furrowed tightly.

"They're here," he said shortly, face growing hard.

"How can you tell?" Serena breathed out. Ash squeezed her hand and let go of it.

"The air is changing," Ash insisted, all while Pikachu's cheeks sparked. Her husband reached for the pokeballs at his side. "Greninja and Decidueye can feel it, too."

"KUUUUUUUUU!" Latias shouted over the air, all but confirming what the two men with her had already said. Serena waited, pricking her ears, and soon she heard the noises and felt the rumblings, like a stampede across the city. Her eyes went upwards and she saw them, like an ominous cloud that reminded her of that night when dragons had swarmed across the city. Only these weren't dragons: they were Skarmory, Pidgeot, Braviary and all manner of fliers blitzing through the air, while numerous drones were mixed in. Latias gave another cry and she flashed forward, firing off a Mist Ball.

"Leave them to handle the air!" Y shouted, Hydreigon's mouths glowing while the sound of the stampeding, incoming army became louder. Serena felt she could see them, along with the attacks that the trainers at the fore were throwing out. "Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!"

"Drei!" Hydreigon growled out angrily, the purple glow finally coalescing at its jaws before firing outward for the forest. It was perfectly timed, as a group of Tauros came stampeding out, eyes glowing red; they definitely weren't the friendly ones on Ash's team. The three-headed dragon slammed into the group of Tauros and sent them flying off, some of them landing in the water. That seemed to just stir what was beneath.

"Get ready!" Ash shouted. At his call, a large Mantine emerged from the depths of the water, sending a steaming Scald right for them.

"Protect!" Serena shouted. Sylveon acted without a second's delay, throwing up the shield that the water slammed into. It heated some of the air around them, but Pikachu was already in action, hurling a Thunderbolt at Mantine that caused it to fall back into the water. "It looks like they're not just taking Pokémon native to the area."

"They spent just as much time preparing as we did," Y confirmed as a Tauros broke through. One of Hydreigon's heads fired off a Dark Pulse that knocked it backwards. It was soon finished by a Flamethrower from Malva's Houndoom, the woman striding forward. "They're going to have a veritable army…which is why we need to find them and take them out as quickly as we can, so that the meteonite doesn't touch down here to connect with the Omega in even the slightest way."

"Indeed," called Malva's tones. Her Houndoom hit another surfacing Mantine with Dark Pulse as she stood near Y, cocking her hips. "I'm sure you can deal with that, yes? If anyone's capable of building that future, it's you, Ash. You can leave everything here to us."

"Yeah, I got it! We're on it!" Ash yelled out with a confident grin. "Pikachu, into the water and use Thunderbolt at max power!"

"Pi!" Pikachu called, dashing for the edge of the bridge. As he did so, Ash grabbed two of his pokeballs and tossed them forward, calling forth both Decidueye and Greninja, two of Ash's loyal Pokémon bringing their backs against one another as other ornery Tauros barreled down. Without a single command from Ash, the two slashed forward, green and white lights cutting along the group of Pokémon and causing them to fall. Pikachu landed in the water, beginning to spark. "Chuuuuuuu!"

The lightning exploded from the river, tingling along it and popping with bursting power that was sent up in jets of electricity. Pokémon resurfaced, knocked out, but eliminating the river as a means of attacking. Serena breathed out, and looked up to see the Skarmory that hadn't been hit moving in their direction. With them were an assortment of drones, claws extended from some, and missiles from others.

"Look out! Flamethrower!" Serena called. Braixen snapped her wand upwards, sending the jet of flame out. It slammed into Skarmory, causing it to fall back through the river while the drones moved in. "Psyshock!"

"Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled out. Serena watched the drones carefully as their Pokémon attacked, tossing out watery throwing stars alongside purple energy blades. The machines seemed to be moving in a very deliberate fashion, as if aiming for a target. It confirmed Serena's own fears in her mind: they really  _were_  targeting Ash. The attacks made contact, blasting at the drones and causing them to explode. One evaded, zipping under the bridge and rising up behind Ash.

"Hydreigon!" Y shouted, and the Brutal Pokémon acted without remorse. Three orbs of blue, red, and yellow shot out from Hydreigon's maw, slamming into the final drone and causing it to explode. At the same moment, Pikachu had climbed back up to the bridge, rejoining his comrades. The sounds of battle continued on elsewhere, and deeper into the city, near the marketplace, Serena could see explosions going off. "Time to make good on your promises, Ash. Get moving! We'll hold the bridge!"

"Agh…all right!" Ash said, though it sounded rather reluctant. Serena was fine with it; her father would be more than enough to hold the bridge and beat back anything along the ground, especially with the smirking Malva at his side. "You be safe! Greninja, Decidueye, let's go!"

"Nin!" Greninja agreed, dashing ahead alongside his fellow partner to provide a vanguard for Ash. More drones were descending, looking all too much like a veritable storm. It brought a foreboding feeling into Serena, like it was there for more than just a show of force, but she continued running with Ash, back into the city. Pikachu rapidly caught up to them as they ran.

"Guess that vantage point didn't last for long, did it?" Serena questioned. Ash laughed out as another drone swirled in. Pikachu was having none of it, whipping his tail around and slicing straight through it. "I get the feeling they really  _are_  after you…"

"Let 'em," Ash grinned out, slamming his fist into his palm. "If they want to come at me, I've got no problems with any of that. Pikachu, Electro Ball! Decidueye, Spirit Shackle!"

"Kooroo!" Decidueye hooted out, drawing his ghostly bow and aiming upwards towards the swiftly descending drones. He fired as Pikachu sent his own orbs of crackling electricity in that direction. They impacted, exploding and creating a layer of dust as some windows cracked and shattered.

"Skareee!" The sudden and shrill cry notified them of the Pokémon now divebombing them. Braixen took immediate precedence, sending a Fire Blast outward without a single command that blasted into the Pokémon.

"Now, I get it…" Ash said, the look on his face filling with worry at what seemed to be his revelation. He drew closer to Serena, his eyes scanning the skies above. Even in the bright sunlight, it was impossible to see anything other than the black cloud of Pokémon and drones above, meeting their aerial forces in combat. "They're not just attacking us, but using the drones for cover to get themselves into the city!"

"Are you saying Deirdre could be making her way in right now?" Serena asked before ordering another Fairy Wind. Sylveon blasted the floating drones backwards, slamming them into each other and causing them to explode against the screens on the buildings, damaging them. Elsewhere, another brief explosion went off.

"It's possible," came the answer. She didn't like that, but already, she had a solution.

"We need to get some air, right now," she told him. Ash nodded and looked to his best partner. Pikachu got the message, and as soon as he'd tackled another drone into a building with Quick Attack, he skidded back and sent a short burst of electricity flying into the air. "Until then, we'll need to hold these things off!"

"We'll handle that!" shouted a voice, and Serena turned to see Kiawe there, riding low to the ground on his Charizard, Mallow hanging tightly to him while Lana stood on Charizard's back, her Araquanid lunging forward. Charizard opened its maw and sent flames rocketing out. They weren't alone, as Serena was sure she saw Ash's Sceptile slashing and slicing through any Pokémon or drone that got close. "We've been surveying the city…which is unusual to us."

"How's it doing?" Ash asked, a drone getting too close for comfort. Ash kicked out, sending it spiraling into a building before it exploded, caving the area in.

"For now, we're holding, but that airborne army is the real annoyance here," Mallow said, her Tsareena leaping and sending a Trop Kick to one of the other drones. "The borders seem to be okay with those Gym Leaders defending them, but I'm not sure how long that will last, especially if you think they're coming by air with the ground as a distraction."

"We're about to find out," Ash muttered as another roar pierced the air. He grinned as he looked up, seeing his own Charizard aiming for the both of them. The Flame Pokémon didn't stop, the glint in his eyes shining bright, while both Ash and Serena leapt atop him, Pikachu clinging to them as Serena gripped Sylveon. Greninja and Decidueye didn't accept the invitation, both leaping up to the tops of the nearby buildings. "You take care down here! Let's go, Charizard!"

"Rawwr!" Charizard bellowed and he shot off for the thick cloud of enemies in the sky. Despite his rising altitude and speed, Greninja and Decidueye kept up, leaping to successively higher buildings as they went.

"Break through! Flamethrower!" Charizard snapped his jaw open, while at the same time, Braixen fired from atop Charizard, herself. Their flames mixed and mingled, aiming for that spot in the sky before colliding. An explosion burst forth, opening a hole in the drones and Pokémon army, which Charizard shot through and above. Ash twisted around, looking for any confirmation of his theory. "Come on…"

"There!" Serena shouted, pointing in the direction of the square. Nearly lost amidst the army before them was a hovercraft, containing two of their foes in the form of Louise and Toll. It didn't seem to last long, however, as Toll quickly jumped off the side, aiming for the city below. "You were right!"

"After them, Charizar-" Before Ash could finish calling out the command for pursuit, a Water Shuriken fired from Greninja's position, aiming for something unseen. It was only a second, but it soon slammed into a rock that was heading straight for them, breaking it apart. Charizard pulled back, looking miffed at the interruption that was now flapping in front of them.

"You're smarter than most give you credit for," called the voice of Alastair, his large Aerodactyl visible before he was. That didn't take long, however, as behind them, his form appeared, standing atop Aerodactyl like it was the easiest thing in the world. Numerous Flying Pokémon blasted past him, from Braviary to Pidgeot to Altaria, but Alastair remained unfettered. "Then again, this  _is_  a battle. However, I can't have you getting in the way."

"Look who's talking," Ash pointed out. Charizard whipped around, facing front to the enemy they were about to face. Alastair regarded them with little emotion in his eyes; Serena thought that, perhaps, she saw a flash of contempt, but nothing else Alastair did conveyed that. "Steel Wing, let's go!"

"Dragon Claw!" Alastair shouted out over the whirring of the drones. Aerodactyl's claws glowed green, and with a horrific roar, the beast soared right at Charizard. Likewise, Charizard aimed for it, wings glowing a bright white. The two made to clash, and Serena held to Ash tightly while Braixen hunkered down. Soon, the wings made contact with the claws, sending out sputtering green sparks in midair. Charizard and Aerodactyl strained against one another. "Sky Drop."

"Seismic Toss! Decidueye!" Ash shouted. With that command, Ash grabbed hold of Serena and let go of Charizard. It was a surprising move in that moment, but one Serena leaned into, making sure she was gripping her husband tightly as they jumped off. From below, Decidueye fired his ghostly arrow, knocking right into Aerodactyl and managing to hold it in place as Charizard grabbed hold of it and began to spin around.

"Fairy Wind, like usual!" Serena called as Sylveon also dropped. She sent the wind plummeting beneath them, creating a light gust for them to ride down to the ground, through the drones, before touching down to those cobblestone lanes. Pikachu and Greninja returned to Ash's side, while in the air, Charizard whirled around before aiming straight for the ground. It took only a few seconds before Aerodactyl was slammed into the surface by the attack, causing the road to shudder, and even the hotel quite a ways behind them to shake a little. Charizard flew back while Ash remained on edge.

"Yes, Deirdre was right to consider you a threat…" Alastair spoke, even as the dust obscured him from view. Serena turned her own body, ready for the enemy that was about to challenge them. It took a second before the snapping of wings was heard, and the dust was blown away, into their eyes. When it cleared, Alastair was standing there, nary a scratch on him as Aerodactyl fluttered behind him, snarling as it stared down its prey. "It's the reason I made you top priority. In every mission, each player has their own role to play. Louise and Toll have theirs, Matori has hers, and mine is to support our leader…in this case, that means taking care of you."

"Not a chance!" Ash yelled. Decidueye had now returned, and four of Ash's strongest were in front of him, ready to play defense. Even Braixen and Sylveon seemed ready to rumble. Alastair stopped, and began to laugh.

"Not a choice," the man finally spoke, eyes sharpening into daggers. "Now, shall we begin?"

"You can start with me, old man!" Kahili's sudden interjection made Serena look around and then upwards. Toucannon was streaking down, beak blazing with fire as Kahili fell before their foe, dropping to the ground and rolling along. Toucannon slammed into Aerodactyl, pushing it into a nearby building before it exploded around them from the Beak Blast. The building crumbled. Alastair made no reaction, watching the golfer with a somewhat annoyed expression. "Get your ass moving, Ash. You need to find Deirdre. I can handle tall, dark and stupid here."

"Kahili…" Ash said with warning, but the woman turned her head with a grin.

"The others have got sectors of the city covered, understood," she said, tilting her cap up a bit. "Remember, we can't engage them just one at a time. Find Deirdre, and get going."

"What the bird lady said," croaked another bored voice. This time, Alastair did react, as Nanu came bursting down another end of the street, his Persian firing a Dark Pulse that the man barely dodged. "About time I found a good fight…and it just happens to be you, Alastair."

"Nanu…what a pest," Alastair spoke, lip twitching. Serena wasn't sure how to move in the moment, even with Kahili incredulously mouthing "bird lady? !". She waited, looking to Ash, who seemed just as conflicted. "Then again, only fitting that this world ends on a fight with someone who knew me before."

"Heh, I just want a good battle…try not to die so easily this time, Alastair," Nanu grinned out, his Persian sharing the same expression. At Nanu's words, Ash seemed to have finally made his decision, gripping back on to Charizard. Knowing he had decided, Serena went with him, calling back Braixen while he did so for Decidueye. They mounted Charizard. "I want to keep going as long as we can, after all!"

"You must be a glutton for punishment, then, Nanu!" Alastair shouted. Charizard flapped his wings, taking to the air, but hovering a moment.

"No, he's just an idiot who likes battling until every ounce of blood is drained," Kahili commented, walking over to confront Alastair and slamming her golf club to the ground. Toucannon was glaring menacingly from her front. "Can't say I'm blame him. After all, that's what I want from you, too. Now, get going, Ash! You won't want to be here when the battle starts."

"That's for sure. I'm not holding back this time," Nanu commented, still with his feral grin. While his eyes remained tired, they flickered with a near malevolent intent, ready to destroy the enemy before them. Charizard rose. For Alastair, however, the veneer broke and a light appeared from his waist, Aegislash manifesting.

"I would have it no other way, Nanu," Alastair spoke. Aegislash unsheathed itself, whirling around in the air for its trainer. With his own matching grin, the first time Serena had ever seen it from the man, Alastair grabbed hold of Aegislash's hilt and shield, slashing it downward before touching to a keystone. "I want to see you bleed before the new world. Mega Evolve!"

As the light of Mega Evolution burst forth, neither Ash nor Serena looked back. They just took to the skies, leaving the battle behind to Kahili and Nanu. Their war was truly here.

* * *

Explosions shuddered the ground, and shouts were heard from the city, but Clemont didn't pay attention. Much as he wanted to help his friends in the city down the hill, he stayed focused alongside Molayne, pulling out a third computer next to Sophocles. Nearby, the others stayed on high alert, with Lillie pacing back and forth worriedly. While he wanted to offer the young woman some words of wisdom, Molayne was also speaking, indicating a matter far more important.

"Over the years, we've managed to enhance the general properties and understandings of Z-Crystals thanks to Gary," Molayne told him, holding up a fragment of a Z-Ring in his hands. On the other side, Sophocles was rapidly typing into his programming computer, the whole thing attached to the doors. "Combined with Mr. Y's stock of these pieces that he'd gathered, we've got enough to set up a barrier for this entire castle, similar to the trial sites."

"Big Mo, instead of talking, can we get set up? The doors are fully computer-operated now," Sophocles spoke. He stood on his short legs, belly jiggling a bit as he scratched at his beard. Clemont ignored that, checking the architectural design of the castle, searching for the key points that Molayne had marked on.

"Whatever you're going to do, hurry it up," Plumeria snapped, rolling her shoulders as her boys and girls stood around her. Korrina and Hau stepped forward, as though they anticipated the battle to come. Clemont nodded.

"Buy us whatever time is needed," he insisted to the woman. She scoffed, like whatever was going to happen there was unnecessary. It still baffled Clemont's mind to be working together with the woman after all this time, but it was also something he knew needed to be done. A whirring noise was heard, but Clemont didn't turn away at the sound of it. Now was the time to finish girding the castle.

"So, any ideas about how to get them all in quickly? The science is sound, after all," Molayne pointed out, indicating the screen that was before them. Clemont agreed, his mind working at a rapid pace. The invention to embed the Z-Ring materials in the castle would be fine to create quickly; the real issue was actually doing so in a swift manner. If they hadn't needed to move all the civilians in  _before_  doing this, their minds could have already…

"Incoming!" Bonnie shouted. Clemont could easily hear that. More accurately, he heard the squealing noise of the missile aiming right for them. "Dedenne, Parabolic Charge!"

"Dene!" Dedenne called out, bounding forward from Clemont's peripheral vision. The missile made contact with a turret of the castle. Bricks blew outward, and the dust and gravel rained upon Clemont as he thought. The battle had clearly begun in the city and headed straight for them at the same time. There was no more time left to think. A bright glow of electricity showed Dedenne already getting into the action.

"Aerial Ace!" Bonnie shouted out now, and Clemont watched as Dedenne moved with swift speed to appear behind the drone and slam it down to the ground. Clemont's eyes widened; he'd figured it out.

"There'll be more," Max commented, remaining rooted where he stood to avoid putting more pressure on his foot. Clemont agreed, but he turned to face them all. The army of drones was definitely sailing for them, Pokémon attached to a large number of them. They needed to work quickly if there were any other missiles on hand to deal with.

"Everyone, hold them off. Don't let a single missile or Pokémon get to this castle!" Clemont yelled, gripping at his pokeball and tossing it out. Vikavolt appeared in a bright light. "Hold tight, Vikavolt; we'll need your help in a moment."

"You've got an idea?" Molayne asked. The castle doors began to shut, Sophocles only leaving a slight gap open for them to slip inside when they were ready, the forms of frightened civilians visible through the crack. Clemont knew he wouldn't be joining, however. He straightened up, grinning at the man he had once admired.

"The future is now thanks to science, you know," Clemont commented, unable to stop the smirk from stretching his face. "We'll make a drill and attach it to Vikavolt. If we hadn't been so busy setting everything else up with the doors and in the city, I would have thought of it earlier, but as it stands, here we are. The drill won't take long, but you'll need to guide us from within the castle by using electric pulses at the spots needed."

"From within…? Clemont, you don't mean to-" Molayne's thoughts went unfinished. The inventor looked up and over to all of his friends, sister and fiancée. Lucario was punching forward, already Mega Evolved for the battle ahead, and sending an Aura Sphere colliding into one of the drones, ripping through it. Korrina looked back, and offered him a smile. They were prepared.

"Get going! We'll start closest to the doors!" Clemont ordered the older man. Molayne sighed out, but eventually clapped Clemont on the shoulder and began to head into the castle. Clemont moved closer. "If we don't make it out here, you're all that's between IDEAL and the citizens. Okay?"

Molayne said nothing, but nothing needed to be said. Another missile fired out.

"Pipi! Thunderbolt!" Hau shouted. Pipi sailed right into the air, making sure to keep up the aerial defense as she aimed the bolt of lightning for the missile, causing it to explode in midair. "Electric Terrain! Let's keep that speed up!"

"Nice job, Hau! Rollout!"

"Launch him, Gallade!" Max and Lillie's commands seemed to come out seamlessly. Gallade punched forward, a bright, white light at the end of his arm before he slammed into Komala, and sent the Drowsing Pokémon rolling through the air and colliding with a set of drones. Hau cheered as the electric sparks tingled around the area, providing it with more energy for the multitude of Electric types there. Vikavolt seemed to bask in it, as well.

"Hurry  _up_ , Clemont!" Plumeria snapped angrily. "I think we're about to have bigger problems than drones on the horizon."

"I got it, I got it!" Clemont yelled. The doors finally slammed shut, locking swiftly with Sophocles' program. There was no way in or out now; it was down to them to make a stand in keeping the civilians safe. He hoped Ash and the other trainers were okay down below, but couldn't worry about them. Instead, he turned towards the backpack he had brought and dumped it out, depositing all of his materials to the ground. "Let's do this!"

"Maaaah!" a loud roar sounded out, and a shudder soon filled the air. Clemont glanced back, seeing a trio of Salamence land. Only, they weren't just normal Salamence: they were flaring and pulsing with an orange aura. This was going to be a lot more difficult. Technology really had come too far.

"Totem Pokémon!" Lillie called out, digging her foot into the ground. "No turning back! Hau, you and me!"

"Take them in groups!" Plumeria yelled out, and her brothers and sisters leapt into action, Gumshoos and Raticate alike leaping at one of the Salamence. A green tail came whipping outwards, slamming into them and tossing them aside like rag dolls. "Keep ganging up! We have numbers, so take those three down!"

"Wood Hammer!" Lillie yelled. Komala spun through the air and slammed on to one of the Salamence's head with his green glowing chunk of wood. Incineroar finished up, slashing across that same spot with a Shadow Claw. Bonnie and Max were attacking together on the other side, combining Aerial Ace with a Psycho Cut. Meanwhile, Plumeria was continually ordering the others to take on the drones while Lucario sailed into a raging Dragon Breath with a Power-Up Punch.

Clemont returned to his task at hand. He had to believe in all of them to succeed in their works. He gathered up his materials, beginning to piece together the pieces for a drill that would attach to Vikavolt, all while keeping his hands steady. It was far more difficult in light of the shaking caused by the battle a few feet away. Nevertheless, he remained focused on his task, completing the drill and harness, only needing to work on the holding system in a matter of minutes. His gaze looked back, watching as Dedenne beat upon one of the Salamence with a Play Rough, the puffs of white smoke allowing Gallade the chance to deliver a crushing blow that Clemont looked away from.

"Keep going, Bonnie," he breathed out.

"Lucario, Metal Sound, then beat it with Bone Rush!" Korrina called out. Lucario growled loudly, showing that he was getting into the battle. The high-pitched keening sounded out, making all of the Salamence cry out in pain.

"Yo, let's get in it!" one of the trainers there called as Clemont finished his assembly and lunged for his box, quickly tossing in all of the fragments inside the apparatus. "Hit 'em with Super Fang, yo!"

"Yawn!" Lillie called, taking Hau's hand as she did so. Plumeria's Salazzle remained on sharp alert, a gushing Flamethrower followed by a soaring Dragon Pulse colliding with the drones and sending them away. One of the stray missiles soared past, aiming for the bulk of the castle.

"Vikavolt, Charge Beam!" Clemont called. Vikavolt flitted right upwards, speed supported by the Electric Terrain as he fired the shocking beam into the missile, causing it to explode before making contact. "Okay, come on back."

"Vik," Vikavolt called, fluttering back down to face Clemont, looking pleased. Clemont smiled at his partner and slid the apparatus around his mandibles. Behind him, it seemed like Pipi had landed a swift Brick Break to one of the Salamence's heads, before a Dragon Pulse slammed into her and sent her careening off with a cry from Hau. Clemont promised to not let himself get distracted.

"Vikavolt, Molayne will send those electrical impulses through the castle. You find them, drill in just a little until it stops and send your own charge to drop the Z-Crystal in, all right?" he told to the Stag Beetle Pokémon with him. Vikavolt nodded, allowing Clemont a chance to pat his trusted partner before the Bug type took off for the first point. Clemont slid over to the computer, reading out all the points as it synched with Sophocles.

"Clemont! Heading your way!" Korrina called out. Clemont whipped around just in time to see Salamence take a fiery chomp of Lucario, who used his energy to build up another Power-Up Punch and send the creature to the ground, knocking it out. The Aether employees cheered, just as another timed attack between Dedenne and Gallade sent the other Salamence flying back. However, Clemont was able to see just what the last Salamence was doing, and what his fiancée had meant: Draco Meteor.

"Stay still!" Plumeria ordered as the sound of the drill going into the castle was heard. The inventor looked to Plumeria, the woman's arms crossing in the pose for a Z-Move, Salazzle's body glowing along with it. Clemont didn't need to see the result of that, the meteors streaking down towards them. Incineroar was blazing with fire, aiming right for Salamence with Komala atop him, the two slamming into the final opponent before Komala finished it off with a Wood Hammer. Vikavolt was moving on swiftly, having finished a side of the castle while he'd been distracted.

"Nice!" Hau cried out, slapping hands with Lillie. She seemed to stare up at him, clearly wanting to say something, but decided against it, turning to the acid downpour that corroded the meteors falling. Those that weren't broken up into naught but debris were otherwise intercepted.

"Aerial Ace!" Bonnie had cried. Once more, Clemont grinned, knowing he didn't need to worry further. Dedenne was on the way for a rescue, likely for the promise of sleep when he was finished. Clemont just turned to his monitor, watching the rest of the progress. His plan to use Vikavolt had been a smart one, and as the meteors broke to pieces all around him, turning into naught but dust while the remaining attacking drones all fell, Clemont watched Vikavolt putting the last of the Z-Crystals into position.

"NOW! Activate!" Clemont roared, pressing a button on the computer, knowing Sophocles was doing the same on the other side. He looked up, watching as the air around the castle began to shimmer, like a metal shield wrapping around the entire stone building. They had succeeded in making a near impenetrable barrier.

A massive explosion sounded out from the city, causing Clemont to whip that way as Vikavolt returned to him. His hands moved to finally remove the drill as he looked at the explosions near the stadium in the distance, visible from their hill. Things seemed to be crumbling away, as though an attempt to keep their own forces from protecting the citizens, fires breaking out upon the stone streets. It seemed that their bait had been taken.

It  _seemed_  that way…until Vikavolt shouted out in warning.

"VIKSHA!" it screeched out, and Clemont's body pivoted, eyes widening. He caught sight of the fleet of missiles aiming for all of them. Everyone moved at once. Incineroar grabbed hold of Lillie and Hau, while Bonnie and Max grabbed to each other, reaching for their Pokémon. Lucario and Korrina dove to the side, but were caught as the first missile hit the ground. Clemont wanted to scream, seeing his fiancée fly through the air and slam upon the ground, unmoving, her chest barely rising and falling, if it was at all. Plumeria was slow to react, but her boys and girls weren't, each of them constructing themselves like a massive wall to protect her. Vikavolt flew outward, pulsing out with red soundwaves.

"Bonnie!" Clemont shouted for his sister, knowing his fiancée already couldn't hear him in her state. But no one else could, either. Vikavolt's Bug Buzz was blocking any sounds. It destroyed some of the missiles around Clemont, leaving him untouched, but the sheer number of them made it impossible to destroy them all. They slammed into the ground, chewing up the dirt with explosions. Bonnie and Max flew back, separated from Gallade and Dedenne, with Squishy flopping out of Bonnie's bag but remaining inactive, as if saving its strength. Hau and Lillie were pitched to the side, showered in dirt with Incineroar on top of them, unmoving. The Aether employees took the worst of it, hit directly by the blast to protect their Big Sister, who watched with wide eyes.

"Guys…what're you…?" she questioned, hand shaking as Salazzle dashed to the closest fallen one, pressing to her worriedly.

"Yer our…big sis…we ain't lettin' some…missiles…" Clemont stood up properly, just in time to see the woman expire, her eyes wide, but her limbs unmoving next to her likewise fallen Raticate. He felt the breath catch in his throat…and then the rage set in. Technology, missiles, drones…used to hurt and kill people. They may not have been close to him, but they were to Plumeria, who was beginning to shake with her own rage.

"Still two standing," chortled a feminine voice, but laced with an almost taunting glee. "Shame. I thought I could take you and the castle down with a single blow, but I underestimated your expertise, Clemont, and the stupidity of those fools."

"Shut your mouth, you bitch," Plumeria snapped. She walked forward, reaching up to pull her bandanna and her hair ties off, letting it flow freely in the wind. Clemont ran forward to join her, seeing Bonnie and Max groaning at their attempts to move, while Hau failed to remove a fainted Incineroar from off of him. What he saw most clearly, however, was the form of Louise, her mint-green hair in a simple ponytail as she pushed her glasses up while she approached slowly. "You hurt my siblings. You hurt my friends. I will damn you to hell for touching  _any of them_!"

"Go ahead and make me try," Louise spoke, not wasting any time in flicking a remote that caused yet more drones to rise in the air, joined by a rather nasty looking Beedrill. "But I'll need the key into there, and if you won't give it to me so I can fulfill my mission in obliterating the populace here, I'll just take  _your_  life instead."

"Yeah?" Clemont called out, his voice joined by Plumeria's as the two former foes stood together. "Why don't you just try it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The climax has begun in a big fashion! Hell, they're already facing off against IDEAL, too! Nanu and Kahili against Alastair! Clemont and Plumeria against Louise! Really, this is just the beginning of this intensity, and there's already been some death here, so you know it'll just get darker from here, with three other members to contend with. I hope you're ready, because this climax won't stop until the end.
> 
> With only so long to go, we'll get to the thick of it. Who will live? Who will die? Find out. And until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	19. An Explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now it's time for some explosive action in Chapter 19!

Chapter 19

An Explosion

"Pikachuuuuuu!" Ash kept his head low, the searing bolt of electricity colliding with some more incoming drones and flying Crobat, scorching them with its voltage. Charizard immediately followed up with a blistering Flamethrower that cleared the path ahead.

"Swift!" Serena called from behind him, still gripping tightly. Using one ribbon to hang on to her trainer's wrist, Sylveon flicked her other one from Charizard's side, sending golden stars out to collide with those sneaking up from behind. It didn't do much to clear them away, but it did allow for a distraction that was covered up by Alain and Mairin roaring through on his own Charizard, dropping their attackers down to the ground.

"It's getting thick up here!" Alain yelled over to them. Ash looked up at his old rival, the man pausing for a moment as his Charizard flapped in the air, nodding at Ash's own. "You haven't found Deirdre yet?"

"Nothing so far!" Ash yelled out. A loud popping noise was heard, and it forced all of them to swivel their heads in its direction, seeing a line of drones firing missiles out for them.

"Seed Bomb!" screamed the voice of Jessie from above. Before either Ash or Alain could react, a barrage of green-glowing seeds fired out, mixed with a Psybeam that intercepted all of the missiles. They exploded in midair, sending the drones with them. Ash looked up to see the Team Rocket balloon floating above them, the magenta haired woman leaning over the side.

"Get your head in the game, twerp!" she screeched over at him. "And twerpette, I expected more from you! If you love him, you keep protecting him! Now's not the time to get distracted!"

"What Jessie said!" James agreed wholeheartedly. Ash couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from his lips, reaching up and rubbing at his nose. They were right; he couldn't afford any manner of distraction at that moment. Knowing that, he gave them a thumbs up, while Pikachu grinned over at Meowth.

"Alain, keep watch on the skies up here! We're heading for the hotel," Ash told him. The black-haired man looked at him with a slight confusion in his eyes, not quite understanding what Ash was planning to do. Not bothering with that, Ash took out his walkie talkie, patting Charizard to have him head for the Ancien Grand. "Better vantage point!"

"Got it! Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain roared out, holding fast to his own Flame Pokémon while Mairin and Chespie clung to him. His Charizard's claws glowed a bright green and soared into the mess of Crobat, slashing powerfully and knocking them to the ground. Ash's own turned around and headed right for the hotel that sat in the center of the city.

"You're going to tell them about the others?" Serena asked, leaning over to speak into his ear. Ash nodded quickly, giving that as the simplest answer. He raised the walkie and fiddled with it to the specified channel, even if he was unsure whether anyone would be paying attention in the heat of battle.

"Everyone, this is Ash! IDEAL is definitely here! Kahili and Nanu are fighting Alastair somewhere on the ground, and I'm pretty sure we saw Louise and Toll somewhere else in the city, flying off towards the castle or stadium. Not really sure which," Ash communicated over the lines. While he waited for a response from the command center they were heading towards, Ash looked to the screens around the town, noticing the shots of different areas of the city. Dawn and Misty looked to be putting up a hard fight at City Hall, while those battling it out in the square (still including Maka, Keoni, Kukui and the ever-graceful Miss Akela), seemed almost overwhelmed, some trainers having already fallen.

"Thanks for the update, Ash," Diantha's voice finally crackled out over the lines. Ash nodded, even knowing she couldn't see him. "We'll be on the lookout for both of them and leave Alastair to those two; goodness knows they should be able to handle it. Any location on Deirdre?"

"Not yet," Ash responded. His eyes flicked over to the stadium, where he could see Alpha Squad standing together with Christopher and Bethany, beating back the Pokémon that were attacking them, as well as a large amount of Gabite and Dugtrio churning the ground to get to them. "Y and Malva are defending the bridge, but we're heading for the top of the hotel to get a better view of things."

"Understood. Keep on alert, everyone, and find that meteonite! Kukui, protect the square. That may be an area they'll try to connect the Alpha and the Omega," Diantha shouted over the lines. There was a mix of agreements and understandings, but Ash ignored them, tucking the walkie back in his pockets as Charizard finished closing in on top of the hotel. The wind roared in his ears, blocking out all other sounds until they landed atop the roof with a loud shudder. Greninja had been the first to reach the top from a climb, though, summoning his blade in a defensive mode.

"Now, let's see…" Ash muttered out. Serena moved to the opposite side, also glancing out over the city. There wasn't much to see, other than rising smoke and the numerous fights that had broken out over the city. With a pang, Ash could already see that some people had fallen, unmoving amidst the rubble of the buildings. There was a large explosion of dust from where he'd left Kahili, moving slowly closer towards the hotel. It made Ash's hand twitch, wanting to help out with at least one of his Pokémon. Some of his Flying types whipped through the air, with Noivern leading them all with a Boomburst. From atop his brother, Hawlucha leapt off, flexing his muscles to Ash before landing atop a drone, beating it into submission. In moments, he'd practically begun to commandeer it. It would have made Ash laugh as Hawlucha gained control of the machine he didn't understand and steered it off, but he had a mission to do.

"Gren," Greninja croaked out. Ash looked to his partner, the frog nodding at him. The choice was obvious, and Ash crossed his arm over his chest, his companion doing the same. Serena turned to look at them as the water burst around Greninja, swirling and coalescing into the shuriken upon his back. Instantly, Ash felt himself see through Greninja's eyes, his senses heightened to a state they never could have been before. With that, he closed his eyes, trying to sense the location of Deirdre somewhere in the chaos.

His brow furrowed, beginning to sweat as he scanned along the city. There were so many people and Pokémon there, clashing with all their might, to the point that Ash could hardly feel or discern anything in the middle of it all. The most he could sense with Greninja were the interactions between the two sides, particularly between Kahili and Alastair. That was the easiest to spot: three forces of great power clashing with one another. Ash's eyes snapped open.

"Okay…power…" He continued scanning the city carefully. There was power in two other directions: towards the castle and…towards the stadium. It could have been Louise and Toll, but for the moment, Ash couldn't find much else, and there was still Matori to be wary of. His eyes closed again. The feeling of power remained…but it seemed larger towards the stadium, like perhaps there was more than one there, or a higher sense of murderous intent akin to Matori's, or even the meteonite, itself, with Deirdre in possession. "The stadium, Serena, let's go!"

"Got it!" Serena called out, all of them once more running for Charizard as swiftly as they could. He was ready for them, and the second they were on his back, he was shooting off to the skies, streaking right along for the stadium. A Hyper Beam fired out, showing Lance doing his own job of keeping the enemy occupied. Charizard angled lower, anticipating that they didn't know where at the stadium to look.

The closer they drew to the ground, flitting through streets between buildings, the more Ash could see of the battle unfolding around the stadium in its entirety. Various agents of ARC were battling the Gabite there, with Aidan's Samurott slamming around into them with an Aqua Jet. At his side was Lionel's Banette. Astrid was also nearby, her Absol impaling an opponent with Megahorn. Ash could even see his own Goodra and Lycanroc below. Combined with members of the International Police, and someone who looked vaguely like Trip, they seemed to have the ground covered, leaving Ash set to continue for the stadium. His eyes narrowed in on it, when he saw the ground near it beginning to churn, and a Darumaka popped out, supported by a Graveler.

"That's not good," Serena pointed out, her finger indicating the entire width of the stadium. Ash followed it, and noticed that that particular pairing of Pokémon was not the sole one. Multiple pairs of Darumaka and Graveler were popping up, with the Graveler glowing a bright white. That action was obvious.

"Lycanroc, Stone Edge! Goodra, I need you to use Bide!" Ash screamed out, hoping his message could get to his Pokémon fast enough. It seemed to, Lycanroc bolting forward with an Accelerock to reach close enough that she could slam her paws down, stones racing out for the Darumaka. Goodra also ran, though he was far slower until he got in position and his body started glowing red. Ash's shout also seemed to have alerted others in the area to the impending explosion, with Aidan and Alder acting the fastest, Banette and Bouffalant moving into position with a Protect as swiftly as they could. "Charizard, pull back! Serena, hold tigh-"

He couldn't finish. Charizard jerked away, trying to gain distance from the stadium's edge, causing Ash and Serena to jerk with him. The Stone Edge split into multiple directions, slamming into the Darumaka and Graveler, but not enough to hit all of them. The glow reached its zenith.

_BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

Like a chain, one after the other, the explosions went off. The road was broken up, and the force of one of the explosions slammed into Charizard, sending them flying through the air, right for a nearby building. Charizard barely managed to flap his wings enough to stop them from the collision, though their entire group dropped to the ground, Ash rolling off of his partner. The explosions continued, causing the ground to rumble beneath him. Chunks of stone were thrown everywhere, and Ash looked up to see the fire spreading to the trees and bushes that surrounded the stadium, painting the area in a wicked light.

"Pika…pi…" Pikachu groaned out, extricating himself from underneath Charizard. Ash groaned, feeling the effect of the blast as he peered through the swirling dust. Serena coughed next to him, reaching for Sylveon, but he cursed under his breath at the current sight.

The road ahead was entirely destroyed, including the stairs that led into the stadium, becoming more akin to a hilly cliff that one needed to climb, with the drones in the area now moving to swirl in. Further, the area in front of the stadium was sunken from the explosions, causing a chasm that would need to be flown over to get anywhere close to the venerated coliseum, the new feature of Ancien City being far too wide and deep to cross via conventional means. Ash groaned again, turning over to see Serena sitting up. Beyond her figure were numerous trainers, including the familiar form of Derek, face down on the ground and not moving. His Gengar was at his side, shaking him with a horrified expression, but getting no answer. Ash clenched his fist.

"Head count!" Aidan was shouting, having protected himself and those near him effectively enough. There were some coughing replies, mainly from Alpha Squad and the Champions, but it seemed to Ash that there were far less replies than there should have been (though he was grateful to have heard Christopher and Bethany's voices). He pushed up, catching sight of Goodra, slumped over, having barely resisted the attacks before he slumped down. Lycanroc supported him, looking just as exhausted, herself. Ash was grateful for that, right as a pillar of flame erupted in front of them.

"You need to move! Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted, finally bringing himself to stand. Greninja acted, leaping from the nearby building to toss his giant shuriken for the erupting pillar and slamming into it, shutting it down. That bought enough time for both Goodra and Lycanroc to move back, Ash patting them both as they went. Greninja landed at Ash's side, body in a battle-ready stance. The flames dissipated, revealing the all too obvious form of Toll and Camerupt on their side of the chasm, having arrived through the smoke and debris. Greninja and Pikachu came to his side while Charizard recovered.

"So, there you are…" Toll stated, grinning at Ash. The raven-haired trainer shifted himself, ready for Toll to make the next move as the blond looked around. "Well, it would seem this was easier than expected, so it's just up to Louise to get rid of the civilians at the castle. Then we can end this sooner than later, I would hope."

"What are you…talking about…?" Serena grunted out, shuffling over to stand by Ash's side as she gripped a bruised arm. Ash understood what she was really asking without revealing anything: how did they know the civilians were in the castle? He had attacked the stadium, taken the bait, so how could he have known that fact? Toll's grin didn't give the answer, the man raising his hand, as if to order a wide and sweeping explosion.

"Sol!" came a sharp cry from the direction of ARC's remaining forces, and Ash saw Astrid's Absol soar in with a Megahorn, nailing Toll's side and sending him off to the side, near the edge of the chasm, but not falling in. Camerupt turned slowly, only for Absol to knock it towards its trainer with a Shadow Claw. Astrid stepped forward, her coat practically hanging from her shirt, all of it ripped as her blonde hair flowed around her in the wind.

"So…Nova Town…Team Rocket…Mount Lanakila…they're still not enough for you?" Astrid gasped out, seeming almost enraged. The survivors of the area were slowly gathering themselves up, with Bethany and Christopher noticing Toll, beginning to make moves towards him. "Rocky wasn't enough for you!"

"So, he's the one who killed Rocky? !" Christopher demanded, his Crawdaunt clicking its claws angrily. The young man stepped forward, but someone else intercepted him, harsh lines on his face that mirrored Astrid's. Toll recovered, looking almost annoyed, but seemed to hold some recognition at the name.

"Rocky? I remember him…he gave everything he had to make sure I didn't make it alive. It didn't work, though," Toll admitted, shaking his head, as though lamentable. "Is that what you've come here for,  _girl_? Revenge?"

"She may or may not," Aidan spoke, Banette with him as he approached their target. Samurott remained back, as if helping the others to recover from the blast. "But I am. For taking Lionel's life. For killing my best friend. Hurting my son."

"Ho?" Aidan reached up, removing his glasses and tossing them to the side, his look of fury so palpable, Ash could feel it on the air. The enemy Pokémon and drones were recovering from the explosion.

"I'm going to eviscerate you." Toll grinned once more, and then Aidan began. "Banette, Pursuit!"

"Net-te-te!" Banette cackled out and it blitzed through the air for Toll and Camerupt, nailing them both with its shadowy arms. Ash moved the second it had moved.

"Bethany, Christopher, you heard him!" Ash yelled. Banette's contact was interrupted as Toll raised his wrist and Mega Evolved his Camerupt. The light burst forth, blowing Banette away, but not harming it. Astrid and Aidan closed ranks, and Ash kept on with his commands. "Everyone, pull yourselves together! There are more on their way!"

"Absol, Mega Evolve!" Astrid cried, touching to her earring. As Camerupt finished transforming, so, too, did both Absol and Banette, each shining with the light of their own Mega Evolution. Ash looked away, seeing Cynthia supporting Lance as the Pokémon fully recovered. More than that, more drones were swooping in, each of them arming themselves with missiles.

"Speon!" mewled out the sound of an Espeon. Ash looked in time to see a Psybeam collide with the first drone, sending it crashing into a building. Espeon landed, and its trainer ran up, Ash grinning over to the young woman. Behind him, Serena had called out Primarina to help douse the fires before they could spread further through the city and make their job harder.

"Rock Polish!" Toll cried out, still grinning, from Ash's knowledge. Camerupt's body shined brightly, blue sparks covering its entire body while the familiar woman finished reaching Ash. "Eruption!"

"Protect!" Aidan shouted, flinging a hand out with a scowl resting on his lips. Banette soared forth, large arms snapping out to erect a honeycomb shield. The fires erupted from the ground, pushing Banette back, but preventing the flames from hurting either itself or Absol.

"Ash, been a while!" Anabel spoke as Espeon prowled along the ground, waiting for more of the drones to arrive. "Haven't seen you since the wedding."

"Yeah, looks like you've been doing well, Anabel," Ash grinned out. His eyes flicked back and forth, watching as Pikachu sent a sharp bolt of lightning to another incoming foe. Meanwhile, Absol raced forward, its large horn glowing a bright white before he slammed into Camerupt's side.

"Shadow Claw!" Astrid shouted. Absol, still pushing against Camerupt, had his claw erupt with shadow before slashing viscerally across the Eruption Pokémon and causing it to howl loudly. Toll didn't seem to care for that. Astrid stood her ground, however, looking over to Aidan. Banette vanished. "You're not taking another step past this point, Toll."

"Neither are you! Earth Power!" Toll shouted out. Ash jumped back, grabbing hold of both Serena and Anabel as the ground glowed a bright golden hue. Power erupted from the crackling seams, more of the road beginning to fall away into the chasm. The golden burst consumed Absol, flinging him away, rolling along the ground with a slightly smoking body. In seconds, however, he was back on all fours and growling. Banette, meanwhile, reappeared behind Camerupt and slammed into its back.

"Camaaaah!" the creature roared, making Toll switch his eyes to Aidan.

"They're sharing in their anger," Anabel mentioned. "Absol and Astrid; Mr. Aidan and Banette. Both of them are sharing their want to defeat this man. It's the reason Mr. Aidan can Mega Evolve a Pokémon that isn't his. It's what's keeping them going. That should continue to give them extra strength."

"Yeah?" Serena questioned, getting only a nod in response. "Well, let's hope so. In the meantime, I don't think we should fight here, so close to  _that_ kind of battle."

"Agreed," Ash insisted. He whipped back around as Camerupt was skidding along the ground, space now between their battle and the new chasm. More drones were incoming, each of them aiming for Ash with claws extended. Pikachu and Greninja hopped to the front, prepared to defend him, while Espeon was doing much the same alongside Sylveon, the latter's feelers joining with Espeon's tail in greeting. "Let's go, guys! Electro Ball! Water Shuriken! Charizard, run air support!"

"Eruption!" Toll cackled out. Ash looked back in time to see a series of fiery pillars blow upwards from the ground. They split off, aiming for Banette and Absol both. Banette flitted around at Aidan's command, while Astrid did a different move.

"Psycho Cut!" Astrid called. Absol's large horn glowed purple and then he whipped his head forward, sending the purple-colored crescent of energy right for the ground where the fire was exploding from. It made contact, continuing along as it left a gouge in the road, cutting it deeply. Upon hitting the second pillar, it exploded. "Now, Dark Pulse!"

"Ab-sol!" Absol cried, now leaping into the air, maw opening wide. Toll didn't look too worried, as an inky black spiral fired from Absol's mouth. It slammed into the ground first, cutting along it before making contact with Camerupt. Some of the road gave way, causing the Fire type's hindlegs to dip a bit.

"More coming! Espeon!" Anabel called, no doubt communicating with her Pokémon. To the side, the others were finally back in action, with Bethany's Vanilluxe freezing the rogue Pokémon in order for Crawdaunt to use a Guillotine right through them. Espeon's eyes glowed blue, stopping some of the drones before whirling them around and flinging them into a building. More were right behind them.

"Earth Power!" Ash grimaced, hoping that they and the others would be out of range from the all-too devastating attack that was starting to consume the ground. More of it crumbled away, making Camerupt rather even-footed on the stone and dirt, while Absol was flung back once again. Aidan seemed sharper.

"Protect!" he snapped out. Banette acted without a single delay, the shield wrapping around its body. The golden bursts of power passed by it harmlessly. A missile fired from some of the drones.

"Hacha!" Ash looked up, eyes widening in almost amusement. Another missile soared out, this one impacting with the one aiming for them. It collided in midair, exploding, and Ash had to laugh at the sight of two drones sailing into battle, one commanded by Hawlucha, and the other by Oshawott and Snivy of all Pokémon!

"Oshaaa!" Oshawott cried cheerfully, tapping on his chest proudly, while Snivy seemed to have found a way to make the drone work, firing off missiles from them and joining in with her own whipping vines. Oshawott slammed on to something, and more missiles fired out, slamming into the other drones. Hawlucha seemed more effective, though, zipping through the group of drones on his own, all while knocking each of them away with Karate Chop.

"Pursuit!" Aidan shouted, the Earth Power having ended by then. Ash breathed out, glad that they had avoided the attack. Banette's shield broke and it flashed forward, snapping into Camerupt's head with a shadowy pulse of its arms, before floating above and slamming it right into the ground with a vengeance. The volcano on Camerupt's back glowed a bright red.

"Eruption!" Toll called out, grinning madly. The red glow turned orange, like lava that was about to overflow. Banette had no time to move, the fires exploding from Camerupt's back and consuming Banette, who cried out with excruciating pain. Ash twitched, wanting to join in, even as his Pokémon continued to make short work of the drones that were descending upon them. However, Banette's eyes flashed in his direction, telling him to not interfere as it took the Eruption strike. Absol was back in the battle, a shadowy claw descending through the fire; a vengeful black against an angry red that collided with the volcano. The attack burst, exploding around the three of the opposing trainers and causing all three Pokémon to separate from one another.

"I told you…not one…more…step!" Astrid said. Absol skidded back to her side and she pet her Disaster Pokémon's fur. Ash looked up, seeing Hawlucha jump off of his drone and use a High Jump Kick into it before spinning into a Flying Press. He slammed into a cluster of drones, his previous machine taking care of the rest of those in the air while Charizard flapped upwards towards the sky. Behind them, Ash could see Astrid and Aidan facing Toll down, the man looking relatively nonplussed. "Tell me, do you even remember them? All the people you hurt? All those you killed? All the people that will never be able to speak to their loved ones?"

"Or were they just the mission to you? Did their existence mean  _nothing_ to you? !" Aidan demanded harshly. He was closest to Toll, both men looking like they were ready to throw fisticuffs at each other if it meant getting the job done. "Well? !"

"I remember everyone…every face…every scream…every tear," Toll admitted in his gravelly voice, but what sent a chill down Ash's spine was the sheer, unadulterated glee as he said it.  _This_  was the true Toll. "You grow used to it, when lives no longer matter. I took every single one of their sins and obliterated it from this world. Like Lionel's, and Rocky's. I attempted to destroy your son's, too, but he's just too tenacious."

"You…you dare speak Lionel's name in vain like that," Aidan growled, his fist twitching. Ash looked away for just a second, seeing Hawlucha land with both Oshawott and Snivy in his arms, nodding to Ash before running back off into the city with the adventurous pair. "ARC may have used some unscrupulous methods in the past…but to do so for my friend…to speak ill of the dead…I'll make you regret everything! Phantom Force!"

"Sunny Day!" Toll called, tossing a pokeball into the air. Banette wasn't aiming for Camerupt, though. It was aiming right for Toll, himself, disappearing and reappearing behind to slash the man in the side. He howled as his Darmanitan hit the ground, sending a bright orb of heated light into the air. It burst, and the sunlight grew strong, the heat of it almost blistering around Ash's skin. For the first time, Toll truly scowled. "Eruption."

"Cammmmeruuuuuuuuup!" Camerupt cried loudly, and Ash could feel the entire ground trembling again, feel the heat starting to rise upwards from beneath the ground. Greninja leapt forward, tossing his large shuriken into the crackling, burning ground. Others made to beat a swift retreat from the center of what was about to occur.

Then the flames exploded from underneath the ground. Charizard dived down, opening his arms to grab hold of all of them standing there to take them just outside of the zones of flames. Ash watched on in horror as it exploded around the whole area, leaving it steaming and smoking, Banette and Absol tossed down to the ground with smoking bodies. Charizard dropped them a fair distance from the clash, but within seconds, Ash was pelting down the road for the site of the battle, Pikachu with him as Greninja scanned the streets around them. People had gained distance, a large circumference of leveled buildings and broken road remaining where Toll and his opponents were, some of them (such as Bethany and Christopher) like spectators watching on. Ash pulled to a stop at the sight of Toll approaching Aidan and Astrid, their clothes smoking and nearly burning off their figures, Astrid's shirt naught but rags as she struggled to stand, leaving her in just her upper undergarment.

"Is that…what you did to him…?" she demanded, pushing upward, but causing her fingers to slip. Ash swallowed, Pikachu joining him by running ahead as he made a move to help her. However, she sent a glare right to him.

"Of course," Toll spoke, reaching Aidan now. He reached down, grabbing the blond by the collar and hoisting him up into the air. There was blood trickling down Aidan's face as he coughed, looking doomed in the charred area around them that had claimed some of the buildings. "He had sins to pay for."

"Then you should've let him pay in his own time!" Astrid shouted. Absol began to stir, shakily rising, just as his trainer was. "Who are you to decide his worth? Who are you to decide what his future was? !"

"I'm a sin eater," Tolbert spoke, and his grin dropped away. "Always have been. The E doesn't just stand for Explosion, but for the Eater. I take those sins that've been committed, swallow them whole…and I wash them away. I did it to those who harmed them. I did it to Team Rocket. Yours seem to be next."

"Is that…so?" Aidan coughed out again, and Toll looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. Ash could do nothing but watch, waiting to see what would happen, his chest rising and falling with the anticipation. Banette twitched, and Ash could finally see what was going on. Aidan wasn't someone who would be so easily defeated. "Just remember, boy, that old sins cast long shadows. And the longer the shadow, the easier you are to spot. So, why don't you get rid of some of your own sins? Here, I'll…help!"

With Aidan's final word, his fist raised up, and slammed against Tolbert's cheek. The man flinched, letting go of Aidan. The two blonds kicked at each other, matching their legs against one another. Toll seemed to have the upper hand, whipping around to nail Aidan in the chest, but Seamus' father anticipated it, and grabbed Toll's leg. Finally, Astrid and Absol came to stand, the former ripping away what remained of her shirt and jacket, and tossing it aside. Serena ran up to Ash's side.

"Absol, nooooooow!" Astrid screamed. As if like Anabel, the two communicated without speaking. Aidan swung Toll's leg around, tossing him right into his Camerupt as Absol struck.

"Sol! Sol! Sol! Sol!" With a quick whipping of his head, a purple glow blossomed forth from his horn and sliced out in a crescent shape. It slammed into the breaking ground, and Ash watched as it made a box around Camerupt. The ground rumbled and cracked, and under the weight of Camerupt's body, it fell inside, Toll along with it.

"Now, hold them in with Pursuit!" Aidan called. Banette sprung back up, quickly closing the gap between itself and Toll. Absol also struck, sending a Dark Pulse cascading onto both trainer and Pokémon within the hole with little remorse. As the sound of more drones pierced the air, signaling that their own side battle wasn't finished, Banette swiped through Toll and Camerupt. The man fell back, a large gash on his chest, while Camerupt impacted with its newfound walls.

"Get us out! Earth Power!" The earth once more began to crumble and glow golden, even as Absol touched down upon it. Ash stepped forward, ready to truly intervene this time, but Astrid ran forward for Absol, just the same as Aidan did. They placed their backs against one another, while Banette appeared in front of Absol, snapping a shield around them. The ground exploded with its power, but the quartet inside the shield remained unharmed, even as the earth made a path for Camerupt to escape, crumbling away like another chasm was forming. Before long, the golden glow receded. "Now, speed up with Rock Polish and blow them away with Eruption! They're not getting any closer!"

"Cama!" Camerupt growled out, its volcano once more glowing red hot. At the same time, blue sparks were going around its body. Ash looked over, seeing the Champions had likewise recovered from the earlier blast, with Cynthia's Garchomp using a Giga Impact on a set of drones and causing them to explode. Then he saw the shield lower.

"Snatch!" Aidan shouted. He looked at Astrid, and the younger blonde understood exactly what he wanted. Banette snapped forwards, phasing right through Camerupt before its latest attack could be unleashed. The blue sparks vanished, traveling instead around Banette's body, making it faster than before. "Now, go!"

"Megahorn!" Fire exploded from underneath, but Absol was on the move, jumping to the side to avoid the incoming blast. Another one burst out in front of him, but Absol charged right through it as though gliding with its wings, the flames clinging to his fur as his horn glowed a bright white, especially shiny in the brighter sun. Darmanitan, still on the field, leapt in front of Absol, but it wouldn't be denied.

"Absooooool!" Absol roared and plunged into the Darmanitan with his Megahorn, carrying it forward as he reached Toll and Camerupt, leaping straight through the final pillar of flame, giving him the air needed.

"Explosion!" Toll called out. Absol reached his mark, just as Camerupt began to blow an even brighter sheen than Absol's horn. The Disaster Pokémon dug in, and rammed Darmanitan into Toll and Camerupt before heaving his head high. With a great, strained cry, all three enemies were tossed into the air.

"Phantom Pursuit!" Before Toll could right himself, Banette vanished, moving even faster than usual to appear right below the flung-up enemies. It plunged its shadowy hands forward with an eerie grin, the force colliding with all three and pushing them further into the air. "Now! Chi! Alder! Protect this area with everything you've got!"

"Absol, one more! Psycho Cut!" Astrid called, barely looking to stand. Next to Ash, Sylveon bounded forward alongside Espeon, whipping out their own shields. Banette zipped back down to protect both Aidan and Astrid. Ash looked up to Toll, noticing him right himself and try to land back on the ground. Then the light peaked, and the man's eyes grew wide. Toll kicked out, gaining some distance from his Camerupt.

_BOOOOOOOOOM!_

Camerupt exploded, the force rippling through the air, pushing all of their protection back as it consumed what remained of the road to the stadium. Ash gripped to Serena, making sure she didn't fall over while a great orb of fire appeared in the air, turning the heat up a notch. Behind them, Pikachu, Greninja and Primarina appeared to be monitoring the streets.

It lasted only a few seconds, but when it was over, the air had seemed to have gone quiet. That silence lasted just a couple seconds more before Camerupt slammed upon the ground, fainted completely. Toll landed next to it, body smoking as he coughed and twitched, unable to move.

"It's done…Lionel…"

"Guess we can…take a rest, yeah?" Astrid breathed out with a light chuckle. She and Aidan fell forward, their bodies hitting upon the ground. Sylveon dropped her shield and Ash and Serena ran forward to grab the two of them, while Banette and Absol nearly passed out from exhaustion. Christopher and Bethany joined in on the running, pulling to a stop before Toll's smoking body, staring down at the man. They seemed to exhale deeply, as though Rocky's death had finally not been in vain, gripping to one another with a burdened smile of relief. Astrid turned her head towards Serena. "Can I…leave the rest…to you?"

"We're on it, Astrid," Serena said, Sylveon's feelers wrapping around the woman's body and holding her up. Ash bent down and grabbed hold of Aidan while Lance moved forward. "You just rest. We'll get you some medical attention…and some clothes."

"Ha ha…thanks…" Astrid said, before she finally finished passing out. Ash heaved Aidan over his shoulders while Banette looked to him and nodded. Lance reached Toll, snapping out a pair of handcuffs before dragging him over to a surprisingly remaining lamppost and attaching him to it.

"Let's get them to the medical guys," Ash suggested. "Lance, you and Anabel can handle things here?"

"We'll regroup and head for the square. They're unlikely to attack here after falling here already. Be careful," Lance spoke, Anabel and her Espeon brushing past the married couple to join the Champion. Serena nodded, while Ash gave him a thumbs up, and the couple began to move off, sparing only the slightest of glimpses at the downed Camerupt and Darmanitan, the latter's sunlight losing its harshness. Before they were out of earshot, they saw Lance search Toll's body, and then take out his own walkie. "This is Lance. Tolbert is down. He did not have the meteonite on him, not that I thought he would. The stadium is secure. Aidan and Astrid are en route to the command center for medical attention."

"Well, that's some good news, huh?" Ash laughed out to Serena. She laughed, turning her own gaze skyward. Charizard was back in the air, though looking tired from all the close saves, while Greninja and Pikachu kept on with Ash, and Serena returned Primarina. The sounds of battle could still be heard in the city, though their particular section, as they quickly trudged their way back to the hotel while crossing over a small bridge, was quiet. The remains of drones and knocked out Pokémon littered the streets, making it feel almost like a graveyard. Ash didn't let it bother him (or tried not to), instead keeping on until he heard the clomping of multiple footsteps.

"Ash!" Brock cried out, rounding a corner with a group of other doctors and Aria, as well. "We heard you were bringing them back."

"Yeah," Ash noted as Brock came near. He was flanked by two doctors that took Aidan from him. Others took Astrid. "I don't think they're too hurt, but you'll want to make sure they're taken care of…and no ogling, Brock."

"Wouldn't dream of it with the lovely Aria, my soulmate, here," Brock added with a wink. Ash rolled his eyes while Aria giggled. That was all that needed to be said, the medical group taking hold and backing up towards the hotel, a couple streets over. Banette and Absol followed with their partners, Brock making sure to look over those two in particular. When they were gone, Ash exhaled.

"Still gotta find Deirdre. Anything, Greninja?" Ash asked of the amphibian. He shook his head, and Ash kicked at some of the rubble littering the road. Serena walked forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her. There are less places for her to hide now, with Tolbert down," Serena told him. He took her encouragement and smiled at her, reaching over to give her a fistbump. She readily agreed to it.

"Ninja!" Greninja cried out, and even Pikachu was bristling with electricity. Ash's senses heightened along with Greninja, knowing something was wrong, but not quite where or what, like the threat was literally all around them. He pulled Serena closer. Then came the identifying shout.

"Right under you, twerp!" Jessie screamed. Ash looked up for a single second to see that Team Rocket was on yet another run around the skies of Ancien City, clearly keeping watch on him, as promised. However, his gaze upwards didn't last long, soon looking down to see the swirling shadow beneath.

"Move!" Ash shouted, pushing Serena away from him while he jumped to the side. The wicked Shadow Claw emerged from the ground seconds later, barely avoiding his own body. Pikachu moved on instinct, dashing forward and whipping around with an Iron Tail to slam on to the ground. However, the shadow avoided the blow and soon manifested in the form of Sableye. "Matori…"

"Those three are such nuisances…"

"Say that to my face, you ugly old hag!" Jessie shouted from up above. The balloon lowered a bit, like they wanted to fight, but Ash changed his body language, throwing a hand out to tell them to not. As he did so, Matori emerged from an alleyway between two houses. She was dressed in her skintight outfit from before, glasses abandoned, and behind her seemed to be a trail of bodies hidden in the shadows. He swallowed thickly at the sight of the fallen trainers and their Pokémon; they probably hadn't even seen it coming. In the distance, Ash could see more plumes of dust; the battle with Alastair was clearly still raging on.

"Jessie, let's  _not_  antagonize the assassin," James suggested.

"Though I wouldn't mind rearrangin' her face…" Meowth said with a nasty grin. Matori ignored them, something which didn't sit well with the trio. "Hey, dat broad is ignorin' us."

"I've assassinated many in my lifetime," Matori spoke, her voice indicating that she didn't care one whit about Team Rocket's complaints. "Corrupt presidents of corrupt regions, gang leaders, and people who didn't deserve to live, like Giovanni. Yet, none have proven more troublesome to kill than you, Ash Ketchum. Not that I ever tried, of course, but your ability to escape from so many situations is an annoyance. That ends now. You're not wriggling away."

"I'm not 'wriggling' anywhere," Ash said, tossing a fist up. "I'm not running. I'm not hiding. We don't play like you, working in the shadows."

"That's what made you so easy to manipulate," Matori spoke. She reached into her pockets, taking out the same knives she had used to kill Giovanni with. "But that manipulation is over. My target is crystal clear now, and easy to take out."

"If you think that, you've never met Ash," Serena snapped out. Matori didn't look at her at all. She did, however, raise a knife, and with frightening speed, threw it right at his wife. Ash didn't even have the chance to call out to her, hoping she'd be able to dodge it, no matter how swiftly it was moving. His own feet began to move, though, and Matori aimed her next knife at him.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called. Ash moved to duck, but the knife was too close. There was a cracking underneath his feet, one Ash glanced to for a tenth of a second, and then giant roots erupted from the ground, slamming into the knives and knocking them aside. There were two more loud slams in the dust caused by the Frenzy Plant's swirling around.

"Next time, you'd best not underestimate us," Paul's voice barked. The dust cleared, revealing both Electivire and Sceptile there, looking ready for battle. Above, Team Rocket seemed to have fired a flare, if the streaking red light was anything to go by. Matori stepped back, regarding both Paul and the now arriving Sawyer, the two men standing together. Serena seemed to consider it an ironically amusing sight, but Ash saw it as a welcome one. That was only furthered by another familiar roar piercing the air, Alain's Charizard streaking down.

"Nuisances, all. Sableye, time for the assassination. Mega Evolve." Matori pressed to a knife clasped at her side, gleaming with the light of a keystone. Sableye grinned, showing more emotion than its trainer as it began to glow. It wasn't alone, Sawyer grabbing hold of his own keystone from his pocket, causing Sceptile to transform. By the time Alain's Charizard had landed, his trainer hopping off, all three of those Pokémon able to Mega Evolve had done so. Behind Alain, Mairin could be seen running towards the hotel to likely help the medical corps. Sawyer, however, looked to Ash.

"That's all four encountered. Now, find the leader, Ash," Sawyer spoke. Alain cracked his knuckles while Paul smirked, like he was about to appreciate a good fight. It scarily reminded Ash of Nanu, but became irrelevant in the light of Sawyer's words.

"We're on it! Charizard, we need air again!" Ash yelled. His command was instantly heeded as he and Serena ran down the opposite end of the street from the fight, their Pokémon alongside them. Sableye vanished into the pavement, but Sceptile was already on duty, blocking off traveling ability with a Frenzy Plant. With Sableye seemingly trapped in the battle, Alain's Charizard plunged his fist to the ground with a devastating Blast Burn, ripping Sableye out of the burning ground in time for Electivire to punch it with a crackling Thunder Punch.

Matori looked unworried.

"Rawr!" Ash's own Charizard snorted out, back at ground level. Ash grabbed hold of Serena's hand and jumped on to the Flame Pokémon. Taking one more look as Sableye vanished, reappearing to slice at Alain's Charizard with a Shadow Claw and forcing it to stagger, Ash urged Charizard on. He just had to trust they'd all be okay.  _His_  objective was Deirdre.

* * *

"Pin Missile Barrage!" Clemont moved his foot, a snarl appearing on his face as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. Beedrill was buzzing forward, its needles both glowing a bright green before firing the offensive force. It wasn't alone, not that Clemont was surprised. The machines spinning around and flanking it also launched what seemed like missiles up into the air, though they matched the colors of the Pin Missile. The Pin Missile streaked through the air like rockets. "Now, Beedrill, let's up the offense. Mega Evolve!"

"Vikavolt, dodge right through it and power up a Charge Beam!" Clemont ordered, ignoring Louise's command and punching his arm through the air. Vikavolt's wings buzzed a bit, and then he shot forward. The Pin Missile shot all around, but Vikavolt flipped over, zipping back and forth to avoid the projectiles that were raining down, colliding with one another in a green puff of smoke. Bonnie cried out as one landed near her and Max, but the duo remained unable to do anything. Another slammed into the castle, shaking it, but preventing any damage from being inflicted on the barrier.

"Vikavika!" Vikavolt cried out, circumventing the Pin Missile as a yellow orb formed between his mandibles. Beedrill was shining, its legs becoming another set of needles, while its other needles became larger; its whole body now seemed outfitted for deadly destruction. Louise twirled her control device, the keystone shining on it. Vikavolt fired the Charge Beam off, the beam of electricity aiming for the bug.

"Twineedle Drill!" Louise said. Beedrill gave a spluttering buzz, its needles all glowing white before it began to spin rapidly, picking up in its rotations before shooting forward like a drill, straight into the Charge Beam. It was unlike anything Clemont had ever seen before. As Beedrill soared forward, the drones also changed shape, forming their own drills.

"So…you're the one who created these drones…?" Clemont questioned. Beedrill slammed into Vikavolt, causing him to spin through the air, but quickly right himself. The drones also drilled forward, but Plumeria was already in the action, ordering a Flamethrower. Salazzle opened its mouth and sent the roaring flame loose to consume the drones. "You're the one who did such sick things with them, all to hurt people?"

"I've always been a technical wizard," Louise admitted, shrugging a bit as she flicked her mint hair behind her, like the details were unimportant. "Even when I worked for the G-Men, I oversaw a lot of technology, equipping our agents there. Team Rocket just…expanded my operations. Getting ahold of proprietary technology like the Totem Enhancer was  _especially_  helpful."

"That was scrapped when Gladion took over the Foundation!" Plumeria snapped. Clemont looked to the woman, his former enemy joining eyes with him. They nodded, forming a battle strategy as quickly as they could without speaking. Beedrill was coming back to Louise's side already. "There was a reason for that! Dragon Pulse!"

"Sala!" Salazzle hissed, rearing back, and firing out the draconic form from her mouth. It soared through the air, roaring on its own. Clemont shifted his glasses.

"Bug Buzz!" Vikavolt responded instantaneously, zipping forward. A loud buzzing sound emerged from him, red pulses of the soundwaves coming off of his body while he soared right for Beedrill. Some of the drones were too close, hit by the loud and high frequency, making them drop to the ground, out of commission. Louise hit a button on the remote she was holding.

"Did he now? To cover up the sins of the past?" Louise asked. The drones once more docked a set of missiles and fired them right for the Dragon Pulse. Within moments, they collided, ripping across the air with an explosion. Korrina's skirt ruffled, her body still unmoving, and Clemont started to fear the worst, his rageful expression upon Louise as the woman smirked with enjoyment. "You cannot cover up sins. I did your friends a favor by excusing them. I did the world a favor by excluding them from the new one. Fell Stinger!"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Plumeria roared. Even Clemont found himself shaking from the words. Once upon a time, Team Skull and Plumeria had been enemies, but not once did he ever believe they didn't matter, or that them not being in the world meant it was better off.

"Spark!" Clemont spluttered out angrily. Bonnie was hurt. Korrina was possibly dead. And now the woman who had inadvertently pushed him to grow stronger was being told her life didn't matter. Vikavolt's body was wreathed in electricity and he shot for the blood red stinger that Beedrill was aiming at him. The two Bug types collided, red sparks of electricity showering down on to the ground. Clemont didn't know what took hold of him, but as they collided, he ran for Louise. "You think people don't matter because they've made mistakes? ! That they shouldn't be allowed a future? !"

"Of course not," Louise spoke. The drones parted as Clemont reached her, punching at her. Louise's expression went cold and she grabbed hold of Clemont's hand before twirling his body around to flip him on to his back. Vikavolt and Beedrill continued to strain, the former having a more difficult time. "People who will only be a poison to the new world prevent perfection; we'd have to spend time rewriting them before joining it all together. Not worth the hassle."

"So we're not worth the hassle now?" Plumeria shouted. The woman's leg came sailing out, hitting Louise in the face and sending her flying back on to the grass. As she tumbled back, she snapped her fingers. Plumeria's hand reached down to help Clemont up, and as she did, the red-glowing needle turned a dark purple. As Clemont was hauled to his feet, Beedrill fired the Hyper Beam out, consuming Vikavolt. "You're more twisted than we were. At least we held on to family! We turned away from that life, put ourselves into good honest work! You want to take that away from us after we all worked so hard? You've got another thing coming! Flamethrower!"

"Saasaa!" Salazzle hissed once more, aiming upwards for the momentarily immobile Beedrill. She gushed forth with the flames, the red-hot fire soon wrapping around Beedrill and consuming it. Louise sat up, rubbing her cheek as some blood dribbled down from her nose. She rubbed against it with a scowl, pressing a button on her controls. The drones stopped and seemed to reconfigure their formation, forming a wall as the woman stood.

"We never turned from family. Twineedle!" Louise called. From within the fire, Beedrill's needles glowed a bright and blinding white. It slashed forward, slicing the flame down the center and obliterating it. It was all the true power of a Mega Evolution, and without Plumeria's Z-Move, Clemont knew they'd have to rely on a much smarter strategy to get out of it alive and well. "Family is not borne by blood…well…not the blood inside one's veins. It's built by something shed, something given freely! You say you held on to family? No, you used your own crimes to build yourself as a family!"

"How is that any different from what you're doing?" Clemont demanded. Louise regarded him with contempt, taking her control panel and placing it on her wrist. The device seemed to mutate and morph into a bracelet, which she pressed to. "You're killing how many, claiming it's for the future? ! For a new world? ! Well, you're wrong!"

"The future is something stronger than that!" Plumeria snapped out. The drones moved into a new position, locking their missiles in place. Then they fired upwards, streaking through the air. Beedrill, with perfect precision, acted on that, all four of its needles glowing a bright green before firing out the Pin Missile to mix with it. They joined in the air, breaking apart like a cascade of meteors.

"Ahhhhh!" Bonnie screamed. She grabbed to Max, rolling on the ground to ensure they weren't hit by the attack. The missile and the attack peppered the ground, leaving deep gouges in the grass as dirt flew everywhere. Clemont and Plumeria didn't flinch, however, the latter moving into action before the offense finished itself.

"The future is something built by accepting your crimes and atoning for them!" Plumeria shouted, sliding her foot along the ground gracefully, as her former profession suggested. "Salazzle, Smog!"

"Spark right through it," Clemont followed up with, punching forward. Louise quirked an eyebrow, as though she found their thoughts and sentiments rather ridiculous. Salazzle hunkered down and sent a thick purple fog out, covering the top of the hill and obscuring everyone's vision. Vikavolt recovered, zipping through the remaining explosions around them, his body buzzing with electrical power. Clemont couldn't see his partner, but chose to believe in him, aiming for Beedrill. "And it's our job to help that! We can't grow if we don't accept that!"

"No, the world has already stagnated, Clemont," Louise said. Clemont still couldn't see her, just the yellow blur in the smoke that was Vikavolt. Some small pops indicated that some of the drones were being taken out. "Criminals have made a true future impossible. People who accept that will not help the new world. Not when they're the ones who took everything! Target! Hyper Beam!"

"Target?" Clemont questioned, his mind whirling through the possibilities in a split second before deciding on a single one: the drones were capable of finding targets. And they didn't need visual confirmation. The inventor took a chance in the thick smoke. "Charge Beam! Protect yourself, Vikavolt!"

"Vika!" Vikavolt shouted out. The yellow blur faded, reduced to a small pinprick that built itself up before firing in a far more visible beam. It wasn't the only visible thing in the clearing smog, a black beam barreling for the Charge Beam like a total, all-consuming abyss. Clemont reached over to Plumeria, pulling her back as the beams collided and exploded. Dust flew into the air.

"A good guess," Louise spoke. The crunch of her feet over gravel told Clemont that she was walking forward now, dust replacing the smog for obscuring their vision. "Yes, my drones and machinery have many things. My time with Team Rocket and the League allowed me to create many marvelous machines: autonomous beings, synching systems ranging from movement to sound, peerless communications, and a visionless targeting system. When that was done, my mind turned to more medically oriented studies, though that was more out of necessity than want."

"Oh, really?" Clemont questioned. His gaze shifted along the broken battlefield before them. Bonnie was straining to get up, while Lillie had managed to push Incineroar off of her and Hau. However, Clemont sought the form of his fiancée, who seemed to give a light cough. That was all he needed. "Then let's see how things go when your precious machines are gone! Vikavolt, String Shot! Plumeria, you're up!"

"Vikavoltvolt!" Vikavolt blasted out of the dust for a second before diving back in, firing a thick string from between his mandibles. Plumeria smirked, the two former enemies bumping fists with one another.

"I want to believe you once created things for noble intentions, but if you just want to use them to make  _your_ decision on the future, then they have no place in ours!" Clemont roared out, slamming his foot upon the ground. Plumeria mimicked him. "And a targeting system is no good when all they'll do is take themselves out!"

"Sludge Wave!" Salazzle leapt forward, a large and undulating orb of poison surrounding her body. That orb broke, washing out in a powerful purple wave. Gallade, having seemingly recovered enough strength, leapt to grab Bonnie and Max to move them out of the way. The wave crashed over the ground, rising upwards and cresting at a height far taller than all of them.

"Bezzz!" Beedrill cried out, caught up in the tidal wave of poison that washed over the hill, drying the grass out and leaving it deadened. The wave broke at last, depositing Beedrill on to the grass, along with the smoking heaps of all of Louise's drones. The woman looked untouched by the attack, but her scowl gave it all away. This was no longer a battle she was taking flippantly. In the distance, a loud explosion went off, and Clemont looked to see a fiery orb in the air, by the stadium. He hoped everyone was okay, but Louise was done playing.

"Pin Missile. Smoke them," she snapped coldly. Beedrill shot back up, all four needles and its stinger glowing green. Its red eyes flashed angrily, no doubt sharing the emotions with its trainer, and Clemont turned, his mind figuring out a way to take Louise out quickly. Beedrill fired, over fifty projectiles making their way into the air.

"Burn them up with Flamethrower!" Plumeria ordered. Salazzle straightened back up, and let the furnace of flames gush forth. She moved her head in a sweeping motion as her own back was set ablaze with flames, aiming for all of the Pin Missile projectiles. Many of them made it through, impacting with Vikavolt and Salazzle with explosions that peppered their bodies. Clemont didn't give up, though, knowing he was ready to fight on.

"Bug Buzz! Keep Beedrill pinned!" Vikavolt zipped off, vanishing for a second before aiming at their foe from behind, matching the frequency of its blood red soundwaves to the beating of Beedrill's own wings, nearly imperceptible but for the topmost needles raising to Beedrill's head. Vikavolt twisted and turned, avoiding the remaining projectiles. One hit him, but he refused to be turned off course. "Now Spark!"

"Vol!" Vikavolt shouted, ramming into Beedrill with the electricity surrounding his body. The Spear Pokémon went tumbling through the air, towards Louise, who snapped her arm out, looking ready to call more drones to the battlefield. Beedrill righted itself as swiftly as it could.

"Hyper Beam!"

"Block it with Charge Beam!" Clemont wasn't alone in his call, Plumeria calling for a Dragon Pulse. As the great purple beam emerged from Salazzle's mouth in the form of a dragon, Vikavolt fired his own beam of electricity. A dark beam coalesced between Beedrill's pincers, and then it fired forward, barreling through the air, cutting it apart, before it slammed into the Dragon Pulse and Charge Beam. Each of the attacks strained, neither one wanting to give in.

"Twineedle!" The Hyper Beam seemed to change shape as Beedrill began to spin with it, its needles glowing a bright white. It shot forward, the Hyper Beam turning into a sharply pointed drill that broke through the attacks and kept blasting forward. The move was so swift that even though Vikavolt and Salazzle's attacks had ended, they had no time to dodge before the drill impaled the former and swung it into the latter. Clemont's eyes sparked with an idea.

"Plumeria, cover!" he yelled out. Louise stalked forward, looking tired of them.

"Not this again…" the green-haired woman spoke with a scowl on her lips. Salazzle shook her head while Vikavolt fluttered back up into the air, seeming unsteady after all the attacks. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon looked no better, but she still seemed to have the prescience to attack, the thick purple smoke bellowing forth and obscuring the air surrounding the opponents. "You've delayed me long enough. We don't want to take out trainers like yourselves that are worth keeping for the new world, Clemont. Just sacrifice the citizenry, along with people like her, and this will all be over."

"That will never happen!" Clemont shouted. Plumeria ran forward, deep into the thick smog. He had no idea if his idea would be successful, but knew the former Team Skull admin could pull it off. Her hair flicked out from the side of the cloud, and Clemont saw Louise flip back, only for Plumeria to cartwheel forward and kick the woman in the face. It was the distraction he needed, enough to stop the wicked inventor's attacks for just a second. "We'll never let you take their future! Not you or anyone else! Vikavolt, wrap up Beedrill and toss it straight into Louise!"

"Get ready, Salazzle! For our friends, both here and on Mount Chimney, we're ending this complication!" Plumeria snapped, looking angrier than ever before. Clemont waited, just for a second, as he saw Vikavolt's string fly out. The Stag Beetle Pokémon zipped around quickly to wrap Beedrill up before sending it flying right into Louise, the Mega Evolved Pokémon striking her control system by accident. "Now, Flamethrower!"

"Charge Beam!" Vikavolt didn't bother releasing its string, instead creating an instant electrical current that fired out along it, sparking with the smog that still hung in the air. Likewise, Salazzle sent a final Flamethrower rocketing out that slammed into the continually present smog. There was a second where Louise's eyes widened, like she didn't calculate this particular mistake. Clemont and Plumeria turned around, giving another fistbump. "Complication resolved."

Then the cloud exploded, ripping up the dirt and grass all around them. Beedrill was consumed by the explosion, sending it flying through the air, helpless, before it hit the ground and reverted to its base form. Louise also flew through the air in the opposite direction, hitting upon the ground with a loud groan, her wrist with the remote luckily hitting upon a loosened rock from the battle, cracking the device completely with a sharp hiss. Clemont ran forward.

"Korrina!" he shouted in concern. Plumeria made her way over to Louise, her voice well within earshot. Clemont just dropped to his knees and held Korrina up, shaking her lightly. "Come on, Korrina! Tell me you're okay!"

"Cle…mont…" came the groan from her lips, her blonde hair unfurling out of her ponytail and into her eyes. "Did you…win…?"

"We did," Clemont spoke. She seemed to smile at that, and he reached down to kiss her. That made her eyes pop open. "Don't scare me like that! Only Bonnie should be allowed to do that, because she's reckless! I love you, okay, so don't make me calculate the possibility that you won't be around."

"I promise," she said, finally allowing Clemont to help her sit up. Around the castle grounds, the others were recovering. Bonnie and Max were sitting up as Rotom seemed to fuss from the former's bag, while Lillie helped Hau from the ground, the battle over. The surviving Aether members were also finally stopping their act of playing dead, moving to weep over their fallen comrades. Plumeria stood above Louise, leaning down to search her.

"No meteonite," the woman spoke before looking down on Louise with utter contempt. "Looks like you underestimated us 'criminals'. Maybe the world isn't as bad off as you thought, huh?"

Plumeria ended her statement by stamping her foot upon Louise's face, knocking her out and leaving her lying there. Clemont breathed out. Their part of the battle was over, and as soon as the reality set in, Bonnie threw her hands into the air and flung them around Max, the two of them jumping up and down together. Lillie and Hau were no different, though both moved their faces in at the same time, causing their noses to collide and their foreheads to bounce off each other, laughing from the failed attempt at what was clearly a kiss.

Clemont fell back on to his butt, contemplating taking his walkie out to communicate the bust of finding the meteonite there. His hand reached for it, but then he stopped. Louise didn't have the meteonite. And worse than that, she'd known they moved the civilians into the castle, so there was no reason for her to come here other than them. It couldn't have been simply a lucky guess. Even  _if_ they had seen through the stadium ruse…how could they have…? Clemont's mouth parted in disbelief. "How did they know…?"

"Know what?" Korrina questioned. Clemont looked to his fiancée and pecked her on the cheek before tossing his walkie towards her. "Clemont, what's on your mind?"

"Let Diantha know what happened here, all right. Defend this place at all costs!" Clemont shouted to her, springing to his feet. He whipped his pokeball out, calling back Vikavolt, and immediately set off for the city below, the theory in his head disconcerting him.

"Big brother!" Bonnie shouted, but Clemont wasn't listening. They knew. They knew of their plan to protect the civilians, but now that was denied to them. This wasn't something for speaking over the walkie. No…there was something else on the edge of Clemont's mind that worried him about Louise's statements. To that end, his feet were pelting down the broken-up path to the main part of the city.

Downed drones filled the sides and the center of the path, proving that taking Louise out had eliminated half of the problem all at once. That, at least, was a relief, but something was all too wrong. There was no way IDEAL could have guessed at their plans. Finally, the square was approaching, and Clemont saw Maka's crew of Oricorio riding an Ice Shard from Keoni's Ninetales into a grouping of Golbat. Likewise, Kukui and Akela seemed to be commanding their Pokémon with the same grace he had always expected of them. The inventor reached down to grab for Luxray's pokeball, hoping to help out those in the square on his path, but his steps came to a stop as he felt a pulsing beneath his feet and looked down.

Clemont couldn't help but gasp: the ground was certainly pulsing, but it wasn't just with one color. It was multiple colors. And as Clemont looked skyward, he could see the ground wasn't alone: the entire sky was painted like a rainbow. It almost looked like a rift, just like nine years ago, if certainly not quite the same. The meteonite was definitely in the city, and they were running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was a big action-packed chapter, though certainly revealed some of the motivations behind IDEAL. Tolbert views himself as a sin eater while Louise believes reformed criminals don't deserve a place in the new world, since they'd merely taint it. Not that it matters, with the two of them taken out of commission, leaving only three more, including the hidden Deirdre. Needless to say, unlike past villains, these are views that every member of IDEAL believes. It's important to note this, because it really does inform their actions and reasons and sets the conflict between them in motion.
> 
> Hopefully the action sequences were satisfactory, especially with a high number of unusual combatants with some rather blistering and devastating moves. But next time we'll pick up with the battle I held off, so get excited!
> 
> In any case, we're further in as the battle explodes around the characters, so I hope you're enjoying this. But until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	20. A Ruse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves for a blistering battle the likes of which you haven't seen before! It's now Chapter 20!

Chapter 20

A Ruse

"Whoa now!" Kahili shouted, barely avoiding the blow incoming for her. Alastair slashed with Aegislash, nearly slicing off some of her hair while she bent backwards. Nanu was running forward, a grin on his face, and she was forced to roll her eyes. Not that it was the only battle going on. Aerodactyl had finished transforming, calcification happening on multiple parts of its body, giving it an almost ancient look with the hard rock on its face, and black spikes protruding everywhere else, the creature growing larger in size. The light of Mega Evolution burst with a loud roar. "Steel Wing, Toucannon!"

"Toucah!" Toucannon squawked and he flashed into the sky, aiming right for Aerodactyl as his wings glowed bright, almost silver in the shining sun. Alastair took Aegislash's blade back whirling it around. Nanu jumped back, and dodged to the side while Alastair turned to keep him in view.

"Dragon Claw, Aerodactyl," Alastair said. He brandished the Pokémon on his arm outward, and it extended in length, glowing blue. Aerodactyl gave off a screech and its claws glowed a bright green before snapping its wings out, aiming right for Toucannon. Kahili scoffed, noticing how small her Pokémon was in comparison. Not that it was a problem, as she whipped her golf club out and swung it for Alastair. "Aegislash, friend, please be my eyes."

"Slash!" Aegislash called out, and the Pokémon whipped around. Kahili swung her club upwards just as Toucannon's wings and Aerodactyl's claws collided with each other in midair. The wind pulsed out, blowing away pieces of buildings and other objects, like a nearby fountain. There was a river nearby whose waters churned from the collision, and Alastair blocked Kahili's blow before kicking out, slamming her in the chest. She felt air expel from her lungs with a light "oof".

"Persian, go," Nanu said. His cat leapt towards one of the destroyed buildings, scaling it quickly before leaping for another and then another before launching himself above Aerodactyl. Once he'd gotten above the Fossil Pokémon, stars surrounded his tail and fired down in a stream of gold. Kahili skidded along the ground in time to see Nanu nail Alastair on the left side of his face. The man stumbled, but slashed out, forcing Nanu to leap back, though his shirt seemed to be cut. "I see you haven't lost your skills…"

"I already told you. You're a glutton for punishment if you want to take me on, Nanu! Sky Drop!" Aerodactyl cried out once again, snapping its wings out. The damage from that miniscule action alone broke more buildings as its large claws grabbed hold of Persian and shot up into the air. Kahili shook her head and ran right back for Alastair. Her golf club came swinging out as Alastair raised Aegislash's shield to block the strike, a ring resounding outward. Aerodactyl came plummeting down. Nanu kicked low, forcing Kahili to jump as he hit Alastair's knee.

"Foul Play!"

"Merow!" Persian called out, and just before the two grappling opponents were about to hit the ground, Persian grabbed hold of Aerodactyl and threw it downwards, forcing the Rock type to slam on to the ground, a plume of dust rising.

"Bullet Seed!" Kahili shouted. Toucannon whipped around, opening his beak. The seeds shot out like a Gatling, glowing green as they battered all along Aerodactyl's body, the enemy's Pokémon slowly getting back up with a screech. Its wings flapped out, sending a gust through the air. Kahili swung forward while Nanu punched forward. Alastair smirked, crossing sword and shield across each other. The golf club banged off of the shield while Nanu's hand hit the blade, bleeding from the strike. He seemed to like that, given that the former officer was sporting a wider grin. Alastair whipped around, forcing them back.

"Rock Slide." Alastair's command was sharp, and Aerodactyl's cry was keening. Large, glowing rocks appeared in midair, and without delay they rained down upon both Toucannon and Persian with impunity.

"Steel Wing! Cut through them!" Kahili shouted. Toucannon cried out, wings glowing again as he sliced up, breaking one in half with ease. "Stay out of my way, old man."

"Heh, I was about to say the same thing,  _bird lady_ ," Nanu snarked out. Kahili frowned at him, but as if on instinct, the two drew closer to one another.

"Whatever, we can stomach working together once, right? Even if you're an annoying old man past his prime." Nanu smirked. Persian was acting without orders, avoiding the falling rocks with speed before opening his mouth and sending an inky spiral of energy outward to slam into Aerodactyl's head.

"Just try to keep up," the man replied. They turned at once and aimed right for Alastair, the man continuing to smirk at them. He raised Aegislash upward, the shield facing forward, and charged at them, his body angled to the right slightly.

"Ancient Power!" their foe called. Having just finished his attack, Persian was unable to move as a bright, silver orb fired off in a quick burst for him. The attack collided, pushing the feline back. Kahili reached Alastair first, and she swung her golf club forward. The blade in Alastair's hand came screaming down, striking upon the club and cutting into it.

"Crap! Brave Bird!" she shouted. The golf club snapped in two, the broken part flipping through the air. Nanu reached right for it, ever the pragmatist, and the two moved in on Alastair. Toucannon's bright blue blaze erupted around his figure as he soared around, aiming right for Aerodactyl. Alastair gave a call for a Sky Drop, and his own Pokémon shot upwards. Kahili and Nanu simultaneously stabbed downwards. Alastair rose the shield up, blocking Nanu's strike, while slashing up. "No…way!"

"Hit it!" Alastair shouted. Aerodactyl shot downwards just as quickly as Toucannon aimed upwards. The large claw met with the bright blue beak, and wind blasted around the area. Just before she felt the gust beginning to lift her feet off the ground, red hot pain seared across Kahili's shoulder from the slice that Aegislash had made with a cry, and she plunged forward, managing to stab Alastair in the shoulder with her broken golf club, the jagged edges cutting deep.

The wind from their attacks blasted through, crumbling away at the buildings, and sending all three of the human combatants tumbling along the ground, down some abandoned streets. Kahili bounced, nearly finding herself at the river's edge. They had moved closer to the hotel. Persian was leaping in again, the blue gem on its head turning to a red color before firing the Power Gem that tracked Aerodactyl. The Fossil Pokémon took to the air, avoiding the blow as it cut away at buildings. The beam followed it, destroying the now useless screens as it went, but Aerodactyl's large body glided on the air as it avoided the attack.

"Ancient Power," Alastair spoke calmly, standing up. Kahili pushed at the ground, scowling; she would definitely feel those bruises the next day. Overhead, the hotel towered, casting a shadow over them, despite still being a couple streets over. There was a loud explosion over by the stadium, its effects shaking the ground they were standing on, and Kahili had to wonder just what had occurred over there. Aerodactyl snapped its wings in, diving towards Persian and taking the Power Gem that was now hitting it head on. Then it opened its mouth with a screech and sent a silvery orb flying out. That impacted with Persian, blasting rubble all about the area. Kahili saw her chance.

"Beak Blast! Gather the rubble, Toucannon!" she shouted. Nanu was standing now, the grin still on his face, even as his hand bled. Kahili reached up, touching to her shoulder and grimacing. Now all three of them were wounded, with Alastair ripping the broken golf club out and tossing it aside. Toucannon flapped forward, his beak glowing red hot, the rubble suddenly clinging to it as he flew.

"Dragon Claw!" Alastair shouted. Kahili took the moment of distraction to run at the man. She whipped her leg out, but the man swung Aegislash at her, causing her to hop away for fear of getting her leg chopped off. Nanu had no such issues, the man running in wildly and tackling Alastair to the ground. Aerodactyl moved to make contact with its glowing green claws as Toucannon's beak reached the apex of its brightness.

"Go!" Kahili shouted. Toucannon dove below and rammed into Aerodactyl's chest from that point. There was a brief moment of silence, and then the beak exploded, sending the rubble slamming into the Fossil Pokémon's wings. Nanu was atop Alastair, pinning his hand down before his non-bloody fist smashed on the man's face. Aerodactyl screeched with pain, the continuous barrage of rubble throwing it through another row of houses to the street just before the one the hotel was on. Kahili grimaced; they couldn't let the battle move even closer to the command center.

"Rock Slide," Alastair grunted, right before Nanu could punch directly on his left eye, bashing at his face with Aegislash's shield. Nanu recoiled, and Kahili stamped downward. Alastair whirled around, his legs kicking at the air to make sure they couldn't hit him before righting himself into a standing position with a leering gaze. Aerodactyl shot upwards, bright stones appearing along its wings, almost like it was a part of them, before firing out in a storm of stones.

"Bullet Seed," Kahili yelled out. Toucannon shot off while Persian was leaping across the ruined buildings, closing the gap between the fliers. The green seeds spewed from Toucannon's mouth as an even louder explosion sounded near the stadium. Kahili grit her teeth as Alastair swiped Aegislash downwards, the cutting visible in the air with the cry of the Royal Sword Pokémon. The rocks slammed down upon the ground and the buildings, more dust pluming upwards while Toucannon avoided them, firing the seeds into Aerodactyl's body. "It just won't go down…"

"There's a reason they called Alastair the 'Defense' during his days in the IP," Nanu chuckled out. The older man spat on the ground, Kahili noticing some blood there, and a slight staining on his cut shirt. He was clearly getting hit, but not letting on. They needed to try and wrap this battle up as soon as possible. "He's as tough as they come, and stubbornly loyal. Ain't that right, Alastair?"

"No more stubborn than yourself. Who do you think I got it from?" the man asked, walking closer. Toucannon had broken off from Aerodactyl, flapping down as Persian pawed at the ground, waiting for the chance to attack again. "It's served us well all these years; kept us going through all the problems and the troubles, and now I guess we're two old men, butting heads until one of our skulls breaks."

"Heh heh…you'd like that," Nanu spoke with a grin. Kahili turned her body as Alastair did the same. The ground was beginning to rumble with a greater ferocity than before, but it was by no means from a show of power between the two men before her. The sky was glowing a bright orange for a moment before fading away. "But it seems like one of your comrades went down first…"

"Then I'll fill in for him!" Alastair shouted, gripping tightly to Aegislash and dashing forward. Aegislash extended, glowing a bright blue that screamed with killing intent. Kahili grabbed her hat, tossing it to the side as she tied her hair up and ran at Alastair, the man bringing Aegislash down. Aerodactyl screeched, heading further up into the air, towards the army of Pokémon and drones, it claws glowing green and large.

"Steel Wing!" Kahili shouted, keeping one eye peeled between both of the battles. Toucannon shot forward, wings snapped out and glowing. Kahili waited as Nanu reached up, a rock clasped in his hand as he met Aegislash with it. The Royal Sword Pokémon strained against it, unable to cleave the rock, as it attempted to slice Nanu in two. Toucannon and Aerodactyl were about to clash. "Brave Bird!"

"Now, you stupid bird lady!" Nanu snapped out. She scowled as Toucannon's body blazed blue and collided with the green Dragon Claw powerfully, sparks shooting out before he managed to overpower the claw and go smashing into Aerodactyl's chest. Toucannon gained distance, flinching a bit from the recoil damage. Kahili made her own move, clasping her hands together and bringing them swinging around into Alastair's face, the man flying back from the heavy blow as Aerodactyl landed on another building, the dust pluming upwards yet again to obscure the air surrounding it.

"Never call me stupid again, asshole," Kahili told Nanu. Neither of their stances changed, knowing this was nowhere near the end of the battle for them. It was proven true seconds later, when an Ancient Power was fired off from within the dust, no warning given and larger than before. "Bullet Seed."

"Swift." Nanu stated in a statement of boredom. Neither even looked at their Pokémon, knowing that the golden stars and glowing green seeds would be more than enough to destroy the orb that was sailing for the both of them. "I call it like I see it."

"Shut up; why Ash has any respect for you, I'll never know," Kahili snapped out at him. Nanu seemed to find that amusing, owing to his laugh, while Kahili scowled. This was getting them nowhere. Aerodactyl was still standing (or flying, rather) while Alastair was beginning to stand, cracking his neck a bit as he retained his grip on Aegislash. It didn't help that the Royal Sword had secured itself on his wrist. There was a loud sound, like another building crumbling, and Kahili turned her head, noticing that the ground was heating up, almost like it was melting. The ground was churning, and a shadow was flitting along its surface. When the fires reached the river, steam poured outwards, while the shadow appeared opposite as the attack burst. Then Kahili watched it manifest into the form of a Sableye while vines whipped and cracked around the stone street, flailing around before a Shadow Claw sliced upwards to obliterate them. Another blur appeared, landing nearby, just a few yards away, on their side of the river.

"Matori, don't tell me you're having trouble," Alastair barked out. The assassin straightened, her Sableye drawing close, clasping to its large red crystal. From where the earlier attacks had come, arrived three large shapes, one flying while the other two dashed along the ground at a quick pace, crossing the river swiftly. Behind them were three comparatively smaller figures, clearly evident from their Pokémon as Alain, Sawyer and Paul.

"Well, that could work out for us," Kahili muttered under her breath. Aerodactyl was rising, as if pulling itself forward to meet with its trainer. Toucannon and Persian seemed to agree with that as well, the former picking up the latter in order to join up. Not seconds later, Charizard slammed upon the ground, blue flames snorting from its nostrils.

"I'm not having particular trouble," Matori stated, her voice rising over the tide of the battles around the city. Their own portion seemed relatively abandoned, now that Kahili thought on it. Although, she contemplated, part of that probably had to do with the fact they'd ripped up about three city blocks and houses. The repair business was going to be annoying. "They just seem to like destroying as much of the area as they could; made it difficult for Sableye to move around for any kind of swift ending."

"You know this area is no better," Alastair stated. Matori shrugged at him and he sighed while Paul finished running up, having crossed the shallow river. Alain and Sawyer skidded to a stop at his side, as well, all five of them facing the two members of IDEAL before them.

"Well, looks like we screwed up," Paul spat out, not looking particularly happy. "Weren't you the one to say we shouldn't let them team up?"

"Yeah…" Nanu chuckled out, his eyes alighting with passion. Kahili scowled again; she really hated it when Nanu started to get all kinds of crazy ideas in his head. Sceptile and Electivire came forth, while Matori and Alastair closed ranks, both regarding them with what seemed to be looks of utter disdain. Kahili wasn't too fond of them, either. "But that's all right. Just a better challenge."

"There's no challenge if you're dead," Matori spoke. She reached up to her head, as though pushing up glasses that weren't there; likely a remnant of when she played her part at Team Rocket. "We've indulged you all long enough. Alastair, shall we team up?"

"Yes, I think it'd be best. Were it not for Nanu, I'd be in better shape," Alastair admitted, still brandishing Aegislash while holding the shield close to him, protecting his body. "We still need a bit of time."

"I'm aware," Matori agreed with cold precision. Kahili stepped forward, her foot making a scraping sound along the ground as she did so. Paul stood near her, while Alain and Sawyer looked to their Pokémon. This wasn't going to be an easy battle for them, and she didn't want anyone physically fighting that couldn't hack it. There was a loud noise in the air above, making Kahili blink just a little. It wasn't  _quite_ a loud noise, but rather the sudden absence of one: the mechanical whirring had disappeared. "Well, this is just fine. First Toll and now Louise."

"They did what they needed to," Alastair spoke. There was a crash, as behind their two opponents, the drones started falling down, suddenly inoperative amidst the raging battle. A cheer rose up in the city, their job made easier. The swarming Pokémon yet remained, however. The enemy to take  _that_  obstacle out was right in front of them. "We only need a bit more time. Deirdre will see to it."

"Hm. Then let's take them out swiftly."

"Not if we take you first," Kahili snapped. Matori looked at her coldly, showing no emotion, but that single movement, not quite lost amidst the raining of drones, was the signal for their now combined battle to begin once more.

"Flamethrower!" Alain roared, raising his arm up. Sawyer acted along with him, placing his hands together before parting them.

"Frenzy Plant!" Sceptile cried out, plunging his hands into the ground. Once more, the ground began to stir, giant roots ripping it all up and snapping out for Sableye while Charizard took to the air, opening his maw and letting loose the bright blue torrent of flame. It took Kahili just a moment to notice that Alain's usual partner wasn't with him, meaning she was elsewhere in the city. Paul hung back.

"Detect," Matori stated calmly. Sableye's crystalline eyes shone brightly with red, a leering grin stretching its face as the first of the roots slammed down. The Ghost type zipped to the side, dodging it in an instant. Kahili felt a shiver up her spine; Matori was clearly the deadlier threat on the field, and with the two of them working in concert, Kahili didn't even want to imagine how much their killing capability had risen. Sableye avoided another one of the vines before leaping up and flipping through the air to avoid another, raising its jewel up as the Flamethrower made contact.

"Rock Slide," Alastair called, and Kahili snapped her head towards him, having almost forgotten about the man entirely. Aerodactyl rose up, flapping its large wings. Above their own heads appeared the shining, large rocks that began to rapidly descend. Now, Paul made his move, while Kahili decided to engage Alastair once more, alongside Nanu.

"Thunder on the rocks, use your tails! Let's go!" Paul ordered, throwing a hand out and down. Electivire grinned, leaning over and sending his tails shooting forward, impaling the rocks as rapidly as he could.

"Vire vire! Electa!" Electivire called out, its whole body consumed with electricity that soon raced up its tails and into the rocks themselves. The voltage increased and exploded, blowing the rocks apart completely, raining down as harmless rubble. Kahili swiped at the ground, grabbing the broken piece of golf club that Alastair had tossed aside, and she chucked it at the man. He slashed outward with a grunt, but it missed, the club hitting him in the chest, enough for Nanu to come snapping his knee into the man's chest.

A knife came out of nowhere, forcing Kahili to backpedal, the hurtling blade driving itself into Nanu's shoulder. As expected from the older man, Kahili watched as Nanu swiftly withdrew the blade from his own shoulder and held it, prepared to use it. Meanwhile, Sableye seemed to have disappeared from the sight of the battlers there, traveling along as a shadow. Nanu's voice called out, "Dark Pulse!"

"Rowr!" Persian hissed out, leaping into the air and calling the dark nexus to his mouth, before sending it cutting out along the ground. After a few short seconds, it slammed into the shadow, driving Sableye out of the ground and into the air.

"Dragon Claw!" yelled three voices at once. Aegislash swiped down with its Sacred Sword, making Kahili jump back while Nanu swiped up with his knife, cutting at Alastair's already wounded arm with a grin. Matori was on the move as well, holding her own knife close to her as she ran at Kahili deftly. The golfer turned to Paul.

"Find a weapon, and protect us. You're the only one here that can on short notice."

"Yeah, I noticed," the purple-haired man said dully, his eyes narrowing. Kahili swiped for a rock as Matori reached her, tossing the knife. The blue haired woman turned to the side, avoiding the projectile before punching forward. Only slightly above the ground, Charizard, Aerodactyl and Sceptile were all screaming for each other with their large green claws. They met in midair, a green shockwave emanating from all three of the Mega Evolved Pokémon clashing. Matori twisted her head, but Kahili grazed her cheek with the rock before kicking out and nailing her on the chest. She flew back, but recovered with a crouch.

"You might be one hell of an assassin…but it does you no good in a straight up fight," Kahili taunted the woman, though she gave no emotion in response. It was obvious that she was truly the consummate assassin. Kahili tossed her rock up and down in the air tauntingly. "Come on. You can do better."

"We  _are_  better," Alastair commented. Just like that, he bashed Nanu in the face with the shield as Aegislash's blade glowed once more before Alastair swiped it out. The Kahuna barely leapt backwards, but from the way he gripped at his chest, Kahili knew he had been hit by the slice yet again. "The world we will create will be better. It just requires sacrifice; one we are willing to pay."

"That's a load of crap," Kahili snarled out, gripping closer to her rock. Aerodactyl seemed to get the upper hand, slashing up with its Dragon Claw into the two opponents that it was facing. Charizard was hit back alongside Sceptile, the latter looking worse. Sawyer called for a Leaf Storm. Sceptile whipped around, sending its tail out like a rocket to hit into Aerodactyl, who took the momentum of the blast to sail forward and land one more Dragon Claw on Charizard, knocking its head down. "You're willing to pay for a sacrifice? These are people's  _lives_  we're talking about, or did you learn nothing from that crazy bitch in Alola?"

"I'm pretty sure they just think their ideas are better," Paul noted, folding his arms. It was obvious he had no intention of engaging them physically. "But really, whatever world you're looking to create is plain pathetic. Perfect world? Who needs that? If my world was perfect, I'd have never met him, and my brother would have never lost. But then…I wouldn't be me."

"So, whatever perfect world you want is one that no one else does," Alain stated. Kahili was now smirking while Alastair turned to look at the black-haired man. "We don't know why you think it's better, but you're wrong. You have to experience failure, mistakes, all to make you better. Perfection makes that worthless. Thinking anything else is just selfish."

"Selfish? Like a man who once pushed everyone away for his own pursuit of strength? Your hypocrisy makes me laugh!" Alastair barked and he ran right for Alain. Aegislash was at his side, growing larger as its blade glowed a bright blue once more. Alain was ready. "It's people like you that are the reason we need a new world! A chance to start over and make it right!"

"Thunder Punch!" Alain yelled, and Paul's voice was shouting out right alongside him. Electivire stampeded along the ground towards Sableye, electrical current running between his arms while Charizard flew forward for Aerodactyl. They reached their targets together, slamming the electrified fists into both and driving them backwards, light, tingling sparks traveling down their opponents' figures. Alastair reached Alain and slashed, making the man move to dodge. Sawyer took his own chance to attack.

"Starting over is the same as running away!" he shouted, bringing his hands together. Sceptile struck into the ground, causing the Frenzy Plant to once more emerge. Only this time, Sceptile didn't stay still, dashing through his own whirling plants with the green glow of a Leaf Blade. Alastair slashed down, the long blue blade aiming for Alain. "If you really want the world to get better, for the future to be better, then you don't start over! You earn your mistakes, like a trainer the first time on the road. You gain experience, you level up and you move forward!"

"That's what  _he_  taught us!" Alain roared. The sword came slashing down. "Dragon Claw!"

"Tile!" Sceptile cried, reaching Alastair and blocking the blow with his leafy blades. Kahili took aim with her rock and tossed it right at the man. It fell short of his head, knocking into his side, but it was enough. He stumbled, his sword hand flailing around. Sceptile leapt back, but the elongated blade sliced into Alain's side. Charizard flew forward with his claws green, aiming right for Aerodactyl. It made contact, slicing upwards into the jaw of Aerodactyl, and snapped its head back.

"Sky Drop!" Alastair roared out, turning his body as Alain fell back, caught by Sawyer. Matori was running now, and Kahili saw her tossing knives, but Electivire was already there, throwing a Protect up. Nanu came running forward, Persian with him, to tackle the assassin and send her wheeling on to the ground. Aerodactyl roared loudly, aiming for Charizard and grabbing hold of him before zooming upwards. Once it reached a certain height, Aerodactyl dove back down, picking up velocity before tossing Charizard back towards the surface. It impacted, causing the ground to ripple and tiles to fly through the air as little stones. "Ancient Power."

"Steel Wing!" Kahili shouted, while Electivire's shield dropped. Nanu had pinned Matori, but the assassin kicked upwards into his chest, flinging him off. Kahili bent down to grab another rock, and she ran at the woman. Toucannon aimed right for the Ancient Power and sliced cleanly through it, causing it to explode in midair as Charizard stumbled and struggled to get up.

"Shadow Combo…" Matori spoke, bringing herself to stand. Kahili swung outward with her rock, but Matori blocked the blow with a snarl on her lips. Kahili grinned at that as Sableye disappeared, racing along the ground towards Sceptile at an alarmingly swift pace.

"Got you to show emotion," she snarked out. Matori didn't like hearing that, grabbing ahold of Kahili and flinging her away with surprising strength. Paul ran forward, catching her and setting her upright. Sableye emerged from the ground, behind Sceptile. Sawyer called out, but before he could, the Darkness Pokémon plunged its shadowy appendages into its jewel. The jewel refracted the shadows of the move and then bounced through it, emerging with at least ten different Shadow Claws, all of them impaling Sceptile and flinging him into Sawyer, the both of them landing in the river beyond. The light that shone from his body proved that Sceptile had been taken out. Matori was certainly someone to not take lightly. "Now your Sableye is ours. Steel Wing, Toucannon!"

"Toucah!" Toucannon shouted, fixing its position in the air before clipping along towards Sableye, its wings glowing brightly. Matori straightened as Nanu ran forward again, Persian leaping forth while sending a Power Gem at the woman. She flipped away from the red beam, tossing a command to her Pokémon. Sableye's orbs shined as Toucannon got close and it spun aside, avoiding the blow with a chattering grin.

"Blast Burn!" Alain roared out, plunging his hand to the ground. Charizard did so, too, his fist brimming with powerful flames.

"Sucker Punch." Matori's command was unexpected, but clearly not for Sableye, who vanished. Before Charizard's fist could make contact with the ground, Sableye reached him and slammed its jewel down on the Flame Pokémon's back, before proceeding to pummel it with viciously dark fists. The attack continued until the Flame Pokémon was snapped into the air by an uppercut that sent him crashing upon the ground, reverting in form. Alastair now kicked out at an unsuspecting Alain, sending him bouncing along the ground to join Sawyer in the water.

"Is this your bright future? Is this what moving forward has gotten you? Nothing but death?" Alastair shouted, the scowl on his face making his face ripple, his eyes almost bulging, or at least the left side of his face doing so, almost cloaked in dust and shadow. "That is all you've earned today! Rock Slide!"

"Protect!" Paul screamed out. Nanu leapt back with Persian, while Toucannon swooped over, falling under the protection of the green, honeycomb shield wrapping around them. The stones from Aerodactyl's attack appeared all around and then rained down, battering the shield with a horrible noise for a moment before it ceased. Kahili couldn't help but look down, noticing how the ground seemed to almost be glowing.

The rocks finished slamming upon them, and Electivire lowered its shield, allowing Kahili to look up. It wasn't just the ground: the whole sky was being painted with rainbow coloring. It made Kahili's stomach drop. She spoke up. "The meteonite is here, and people are dying. That means…it's either them or Deirdre at this point."

"The meteonite?" Alastair questioned. For a moment, Aegislash retracted into Shield Forme, allowing the man to reach into his coat's pockets and pull out the stone, slightly larger than his hand. Kahili blinked, seeing the swirling lights around the object. "Is this what you're after? Because you won't take it until all of IDEAL is dead."

"I'll take you up on that offer,  _Alastair_ ," Nanu taunted. Kahili looked around. Three of them remained against the two, whose sense of teamwork and exploiting weak spots had taken out a large part of their Mega offensive force. "You've got nothing left to hide behind now. We take you out, we take the meteonite  _and_  your little army of Pokémon. So, come on, IDEAL. I can go a little longer, how about you?"

"Thunder on the field!" Paul yelled out, tossing his arm out to the side. Electivire grinned, sending his tails out to embed themselves within the ground. Electricity coursed through them, blasting apart the street and sending stones flying up through the air. Sableye instantly moved just as Kahili had expected it to, eyes gleaming before moving to either dodge all of the blows and stones, or merely knock them away with its jewel. The golfer's eyes narrowed; they had a target.

"Swift!" Nanu shouted, twirling the knife he still held in his hands. Persian's tail whipped outward, sending out the cascade of stars for Aerodactyl, battering it relentlessly as the stones from Paul's strategy also slammed upon its wings, finally beginning to tire it out. From the side, Kahili saw Alastair tuck the meteonite away once more, Aegislash retaking its place in his hands. Nanu ran at Matori, and Alastair quickly moved back in.

"Bullet Seed!" Kahili yelled, pointing right at Alastair. Toucannon shot for the man, beak opening wide to fire the quick Gatling of seeds, strafing along the ground to stop his assault. Alastair held the shield up, blocking the blow, but Toucannon was breaking off, heading for Aerodactyl. "Beak Blast!"

"Sky Drop," Alastair grunted. Aerodactyl screeched loudly, flapping into the air and aiming straight for Toucannon's burning beak. The claw collided with the beak and Kahili grinned. Flames traveled all along the Fossil Pokémon's body, and Toucannon's move exploded in a great conflagration. Electivire was charging forward along the ground as Aerodactyl lost altitude. His fist was crackling with lightning, and before Aerodactyl knew it, Electivire's fist collided with its wing, sending it crashing into another house.

"Shadow Sneak," Matori called. Sableye seemed to cackle, diving underneath the field, aiming right for Persian. Nanu slashed at Matori, but the woman blocked it with a blade, wrapping her arm with the man's. Sableye jabbed upwards, throwing Persian into the air. As he was tossed, he looked to Nanu, who nodded with a grin. Persian shook his head, the gem glowing brightly before firing out a Power Gem the blasted into Sableye, flinging it back.

"Steel Wing! Get the jewel away!" Kahili shouted. Toucannon broke off, wings glowing a bright white as it aimed right for Sableye, still convulsing under the Power Gem that had hit it. With no room to activate a Detect, Toucannon slammed into the jewel, knocking it into the air and spiraling for the water, where it landed with a splash. "Now, get Aerodactyl!"

"Thunder Punch on Sableye, let's go!" Paul ordered, his face darkening with focus. Electivire and Toucannon swapped places, the former heading for a now nearly defenseless Sableye while Toucannon swooped for Aerodactyl, the beast once more charging forth with a Dragon Claw. The two fliers met in midair, the clash again sending a shockwave across the area while Electivire punched forward, nailing Sableye and sending it flying with sparks around its body. Toucannon and Aerodactyl continued to strain while Sableye sunk into the shadows the second it touched the ground. Alastair came running at them, Aegislash glowing a bright white.

"Brave Bird!" Kahili shouted. As she did so, she gave her left leg a tremendous heave and sent it upwards, knocking away Alastair's shield arm, while Paul moved in. Toucannon's entire body spluttered to life with blue flames, granting him an extra burst of power against the fossil he was fighting. Pouring in that extra power, Toucannon blasted the Dragon Claw aside, spinning like a drill to knock into Aerodactyl's chest. Paul reached Alastair and elbowed him fiercely in the stomach. The man grunted with an "oof", but sent Aegislash screaming downward. Kahili grabbed hold of the young man and pushed him out of the way, just in time for the blade to cut into her other shoulder. Alastair brought the sword back around.

"Protect!" Paul shouted, kicking for Alastair's legs to send him off balance. That bought them a second of time as Electivire pulled back, avoiding Sableye's Shadow Claw slicing upwards at him to grab both Kahili and Paul. The green, honeycomb shield sprung up and Aegislash rebounded off of it, causing Alastair to nearly tumble back. "It's over! Grab him with your tails and give a good Thunder!"

"Electa!" Electivire cried, shooting his tails out to grab hold of Alastair around his torso and arms, preventing him from moving Aegislash. Electivire grinned. "VIIIIIIIIRE!"

"Nice idea! Persian, Dark Pulse! Now you're mine, Matori!" Nanu grinned out. He plunged his own knife downward, locking it with the assassin's. Persian pounced towards Sableye, forming the dark nexus at his mouth. Electricity continued to thrum and pulse around Aegislash's body, as well as Alastair's. As Persian sent the darkness pouring out towards Sableye, Electivire ended the assault and retracted his tails, leaving Alastair standing there, smoking. His hand slackened, dropping Aegislash with a loud clang. "You wanna see your world on the other side, I'll send you there myself."

"Will you? You're such a troublesome man, Nanu!" Matori shouted, her composure breaking once again. Her arm flashed out, this time bringing out a blade that seemed to extend, becoming larger. "Sucker Punch!"

"Foul Pl-" Nanu's command was cut off, and Kahili's eyes widened. Matori had plunged the blade forward, impaling Nanu on his right side, a snarl on her lips. As the dark beam shot for Sableye, the Darkness Pokémon acted, its shadowy fists ghosting upwards, beginning to rapidly pummel every inch of Persian's body. Aerodactyl screeched in pain, no doubt realizing that Alastair had all but fallen. Nanu began to slip on his feet.

"No, I don't believe we'll be joining you, Nanu. Go quietly," Matori stated coldly, and she began to bring the blade out. Nanu snapped back up, grinning as madly as ever, his hands gripping to the blade and pulling forward on it. His other hand snapped into Matori's arm, holding her in place.

"Like I ever would! Foul Play! Bird lady!"

"On it! Toucannon, get Electivire on to Aerodactyl!" Toucannon gave a shout, flapping away from the writhing Aerodactyl, its body once more wreathed in flames from the earlier Beak Blast, snapping his wings in to reach Electivire quickly. Persian's eyes snapped open and its claws pounced forward, grabbing hold of the shadowy fists with its front claws.

"Sable?" Sableye questioned, the grin dropping from its face, like it didn't see this coming. Then Persian lifted Sableye from the ground with a haughty expression. Nanu kicked at Matori, forcing her to let go of the blade as he stumbled back. Persian flung Sableye straight into its trainer with a hiss, the assassin too shocked from the blow to avoid it. They continued traveling with Persian's grasp before the Classy Cat let go, causing them to fly right into Aerodactyl. Toucannon was already overhead, dropping Electivire.

"THUNDER!"

"STEEL WING AND BEAK BLAST!" Kahili and Paul shouted simultaneously. Electivire landed right on Aerodactyl's back with a feral grin. Nanu began to laugh, as if this was the end. Toucannon began to whirl around, his wings sharp and his beak red hot. He flew in a wide and quick circle, like he was whipping up a cyclone. Electivire restrained Aerodactyl's wings, and then let off the same thunderous fury that had consumed the Fossil Pokémon's trainer. Toucannon aimed right for Matori and Sableye, slamming them both with Steel Wing, carrying them up to the electrocuted body of their comrade, his fiery beak making contact. There was a brief moment where the beak touched Aerodactyl, and Electivire leapt off. Kahili smirked, looking to Paul with a nod, the young man also smirking. The Alolan Elite Four member raised her wrists, crossing them as a sky-blue glow exuded from it and channeled over to Toucannon. She moved her arms as though she were a bird, the smirk still on her face. "Checkmate, losers. SUPERSONIC SKYSTRIKE!

"Toucaaaahn!" Toucannon squawked out, body shining that same bright blue from her wrist. His forward movement increased in speed, creating a gale, while still retaining his heated beak. Then he rammed all of their enemies forward, right through a row of houses before the red glow reached its zenith. In seconds, the Z-Move's strike pummeled them into the ground with the force of a bomb blast.

_BOOOOOM!_  Toucannon's beak exploded with force, flinging Aerodactyl, Sableye and Matori back through the air, into one more building. Before they even impacted, the two Mega Evolved Pokémon's forms faded away, and then all of them landed, causing the whole building to crumble inward. Dust rose up to the air as a symbol of their victory.

"Phew…" Kahili called, falling back down on to her butt. Her hands raised up, feeling the twinging cuts she'd been ignoring for the sake of the battle. Paul also fell down, while a clanging noise was heard, Nanu having removed the blade. He certainly looked to be bleeding from that spot, but put a hand over it, for all the good it did with his other wounds. He slid to the ground, Persian walking over to regard him, like he was asking a question. "You okay, there, old man?"

"Tch, just need a rest, bird lady. That okay with you?" Nanu asked, leaning back. Persian stalked around him, clearly not the comforting kind of cat, but a vigilant one instead. Kahili scoffed. Then she turned back, in time to see Alastair, who'd been standing the whole time, falling backwards.

"We lost this round…No…" Alastair breathed. His body made a loud noise as it finally hit the ground, breaths coming in gasps. The meteonite tumbled out, hitting the ground as well, its colored lights flickering. "Just a little longer. Hold for her a little longer…a little…longer…"

"For what?" Paul grunted, but he got no answer. The city began to grow quieter, a large amount of the Pokémon seemingly stopping their attack. Kahili looked down to the fainted Aegislash, thinking that its defeat was causing the army to calm. However, there were still attacking Pokémon in the skies above, and no doubt on the ground. With a groan, Kahili stood, hoping that Ash was doing okay. Sawyer and Alain were finally emerging from the water, while Kahili reached for the meteonite. As she gripped for it, her vision wavered a bit from the blood loss. She almost tipped back, but regained her balance as she saw a black spot flitting, blurring the edge of her vision. Kahili shook her head, and gripped for the meteonite…only for it to begin cracking underneath her fingers.

"What the…?" She continued pulling it up, only for it to crumble away into large dust particles, as though the last of its energy had been used up. But what concerned Kahili the most was…

"Why did it break?" Sawyer asked, pulling Alain out of the river, supported by Sceptile. "The meteorite here needed the power of a legendary to do it, so how…?"

Kahili swallowed, thinking and fearing the worst. Then, there was a watery explosion of electricity from up high near the hotel. Something was very,  _very_  wrong.

* * *

"What was the flare for, exactly? And get ready to dodge!" Ash's voice yelled out to the balloon that had risen into the air. He was surprised that Team Rocket wasn't facing their former superior. Of course, from the way they were busy staring out with their high-tech binoculars, Ash had to figure that they preferred surveillance to straight up combat, unless one counted Inkay and Gourgeist strafing around the balloon for safety.

"Since the analytical twerp said she was the last of those IDEAL bozos that needed to be encountered, we figured we'd fire one to confirm for the others we had all four engaged," James said proudly. Ash assumed that he'd been the one to come up with the idea over Jessie.

"Now, all that's left is the leader!" Jessie cackled out, all but confirming Ash's thoughts on the subject. Either way, the time for discussion was over, and the time for taking action was upon them. Serena gripped tighter as Charizard crunched his body in, prepared to dodge the missiles that were about to fire from the drones right ahead. Team Rocket's basket pulled out their own engines, with Gourgeist and Inkay moving front to ready themselves for defensive action. The first fired, a number of five missiles soaring into the air right for them.

"Flamethrower!" Ash shouted out. Charizard's jaw snapped open and a torrent of flame exploded from within his mouth as a large and wide burst. It slammed into the missiles and caused them to explode. Ash prepared himself to give the order to evade, but he heard nothing more. At least, not from the drones.

"Hey, dey've stopped movin'," Meowth commented, like it was strange.

"Wobba…?" Ash leaned over Charizard, the smoke starting to clear. As it did, Ash saw what they were talking about: all of the drones had ceased in their movements, starting to fall away towards the ground. A cheering was rising up through the city, even as the sounds of battle continued hotly onward. Ash took a breath of relief; Louise had been taken out. Everyone was doing their job, so now they just had to do theirs.

"Team Rocket…or whatever you want to be called, you guys. Can you find the leader, Deirdre?" he asked. As he did so, Ash looked to Greninja, the amphibian nodding and beginning to scan the area, sensing. Ash could feel that sensation. Another of the stronger individuals seemed to have vanished, leaving only two remaining. It didn't make sense, like he couldn't sense Deirdre at all. The only thing he felt was a strange presence by the stadium, but it still made no sense; she hadn't been there before.

"Team Rocket Spying System in effect!" Jessie and James claimed simultaneously, peering over opposite sides of their balloon basket, scanning the smoking and destroyed city. Ash continued his own gazing, and he figured that his wife must have clearly been doing the same in that moment. Meowth and Wobbuffet took the remaining sides of the balloon. "Maybe for this service, we should charge!"

"We could make it large!" James agreed with his magenta-haired companion.

"Enough ta fill a barge!" Meowth concluded. Wobbuffet agreed by nodding his head, but at that moment, Ash only cared about results, with Pikachu even facepalming. A scratching came over his walkie, calling out that Louise had definitely been taken out, but without the meteonite in possession. Ash scrunched his face, trying to find the source, but his eyes kept swiveling around with the clashing signals.

"Hey, that crazy lady had like, red hair, right?" James asked. Ash whipped over to him and he pointed away, right towards the Ancien Grand Hotel. "Because she's standing on top of the command center!"

"She wasn't there before!" Serena cried out. Ash scowled a bit, asking for Greninja to look over in that direction. His synched partner looked over and Ash saw through his eyes, zeroing in on top of the hotel. Sure enough, standing atop there, framed by the streaming sun and now rainbow colors that were beginning to color the sky above, was Deirdre, her Altaria at her side. "How did she…?"

"Doesn't matter," Ash muttered, placing a hand on his wife's, their wedding bands touching. "Charizard, let's go!"

"Rawr!" Charizard snorted out and his wings tucked in, snapping forward towards Deirdre's location, the woman clearly surveying the battlefield from where she stood.

"Team Rocket, tell Diantha we've got her in sight! This ends now!" Ash called out, Charizard speeding up with the emotions now surging within him. Team Rocket gave a salute and seemed to instantly get on their walkies to communicate exclusively with Diantha. Soon, they passed out of earshot as Charizard picked up his speed. The woman's position made sense; she was in a prime location to keep a keen eye on the entire battle. However, she had clearly stayed hidden amongst the drones just long enough before she took her new position, like she knew where their command center was located. "Just drop us there, then help take care of the Pokémon in the air!"

"Skar!" a Skarmory screeched loudly. Ash looked up to see a fleet of the Armor Bird Pokémon firing metallic beams of Flash Cannon at them. Greninja went into action, gripping his Water Shuriken and tossing it out. Pikachu likewise sent a Thunderbolt roaring outward to collide with Flash Cannons. Charizard didn't waver, but it bought them enough time to get close to the hotel's roof. Deirdre turned, her smile looking up at them coyly.

"Well, you found me," she spoke. Ash said nothing, his eyes narrowing in, preparing to jump off. In seconds, Charizard pulled in close enough, and Ash grabbed hold of Serena before jumping. Greninja and Pikachu leapt off alongside Sylveon, both hitting the roof safely before Ash and Serena tumbled across it. "Not surprising. What took you so long, though, Ash?"

"You were hiding, what else?" Ash snapped to her. Serena took a pokeball out and returned Sylveon before calling Braixen out, the fox twirling her wand, ready for battle. Deirdre raised a finger and began to wag it in a scolding fashion. Ash disliked it, but instead readied his stance for battle, just as Greninja did.

"Now, that's not fair. Perhaps you just weren't looking close enough at the shadows," the auburn-haired woman spoke, adding a light giggle beneath her smirk. That self-assured smirk soon dropped off, giving way to the seemingly callous demeanor beneath. "I see you've hurt my family, you and your friends. Are you truly that opposed to our new world?"

"Are you really asking that question?" Serena asked, stepping forward, her hair fluttering in the wind around the rooftop. Deirdre looked at her, her own hair unmoving, except for when she turned her head slightly. Ash found it strange, even as her Altaria lowered down. "No world should be built on what you've done to get here."

"No, it's just built on pain and suffering, right?" Deirdre asked, her lip twitching a bit. Altaria's wings were fluttering, and Ash could tell they were ready to strike. However, his mind wasn't quite there. Something in Deirdre's tone spoke to something inside that wanted to lash out. Some rage, or sorrow. A  _longing_. "We who remained in the shadows, knowing little of the light. Would you deny us our perfection? Our hope?"

"Don't you  _dare_  call what you're doing hope," Ash yelled, stepping forward with his own snarl. "Hope isn't built on blood or sacrifice. Neither is our world. If you want to call what you're doing hope, then you need a reality check!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out, his body and fur bristling with electricity. Deirdre nodded her head sadly, as though she feared it would come to this. Their own views were irreconcilable, Ash knew, and now there was nothing left to be said. Nothing except through battle.

"Draco Meteor!" she cried, raising her hands upwards towards the rainbow-painted sky. Altaria cried out, glowing with a burgeoning orange glow. In the skies by the hotel roof, Ash saw Talonflame and Staraptor blast by with a Brave Bird to hit at some Golbat before diving down towards the square. Latias remained beyond, shooting down other Pokémon as she remained aware. Ash, himself, just remained laser focused on Deirdre as the meteoric orb burst from within Altaria and split apart, beginning to rain down upon the entire city.

"Pikachu, up into the air and Countershield!"

"You block them with Hidden Power, Braixen!" Pikachu leapt into Greninja's arms, the frog tossing him upwards towards the cascading meteors. He began to spin, outputting a Thunderbolt that rained sparks everywhere, slamming into the meteors. Altaria was already blasting forward, glowing gold as it aimed for Greninja. Braixen kneeled, aiming her wand upwards and then firing the grouping of silver orbs forth. The meteors that Pikachu didn't hit were taken out by the silver orbs breaking through them.

"Greninja, block the Sky Attack with your shuriken!" Ash called. While he did so, Ash's own feet were on the move, crossing in front of his body. Greninja grabbed his shuriken from his back, spinning it around before the Humming Pokémon collided with him. The two strained, pushing Greninja back towards the edge of the rooftop, though he held on. "Now, bring it right into Cut!"

"Greeeeeninja!" the Ninja Pokémon cried, breaking his shuriken into sharp kunai that slashed upwards on Altaria's body, forcing it to back off. Ash reached Deirdre, punching at her. She spun away deftly, not yet making a move to attack. It made Ash recall Nanu's words from Lanakila: she moved differently. That seemed to be true; her actions were all conservative, based in defense than offense. Not something that a "scrappy style" would suggest. Pikachu came falling down, body brimming with electricity that he sent out in a powerful arc. The Thunderbolt soon consumed Altaria's body, shocking every inch of it. In the midst of that distraction, Pikachu managed to land atop Altaria's back, looking triumphant.

"Dragon Pulse on Braixen," Deirdre called, and Ash ran at her again. Altaria floated backwards, its wings out for it to gain some altitude before its head reared back, the purple beam forming before firing out in a sinister fashion for Braixen.

"Counter with Fire Blast!" Serena called. Braixen jabbed her wand forward, the fiery star exploding outwards like a blooming flower, closing its petals upon the raging dragon and consuming it. The two attacks exploded in midair while Ash punched at Deirdre. When that failed to make contact, he swept his leg out, causing her to jump. She finally took a movement, punching at him, but like always, it was so swift that he felt like it didn't even make contact. This time, though, he knew what to expect, dropping to his knees and spinning away. The force of the blow rippled against his ear, hitting the door to the stairwell, bending it in. The auburn-haired woman turned her head.

"Sky Attack! Shake Pikachu loose!" Deirdre called. There was a cry on the horizon, sounding like two of his Pokémon communicating with one another. Altaria glowed golden, picking up speed from the move as it aimed upwards. Pikachu clung tightly, barely holding on amidst the swift movement. Deirdre now kicked out, necessitating Ash to duck, and Serena to flip over to the side to avoid the attack that seemed to split the very air itself.

"Definitely unusual," Ash muttered, but didn't afford himself the distraction. There was still something he wasn't getting about Deirdre, something hidden behind her vapid eyes. "Aerial Ace! Iron Tail!"

"Pi!" Pikachu called, letting go of Altaria. The second he had, his tail stiffened, glowing a powerful white before slamming into the Dragon type and knocking it straight towards a jumping Greninja. With a midair flip, Greninja's glowing leg made contact with Altaria. It knocked it down a little, before the momentum of the flip brought Greninja's other leg down on to Altaria, causing it to barrel right for the roof. Ash mimicked his Pokémon's actions, kicking upwards as he stood. Deirdre's eyes widened, like she hadn't seen that particular split-second reaction happening.

"Psyshock!" Serena ordered behind him. Braixen's claws glowed purple before sending the streaks outward, homing in towards Altaria, soon wrapping around the Pokémon like tendrils before another one collided. Ash continued his upward movement, nicking Deirdre's chest, though it felt like he hadn't hit anything at all as she stepped back.

"Hyper Beam!" Altaria sang out loudly, flapping its cottoned wings upward, the gale strong enough to make Ash's hat nearly fly off as it coalesced its dark beam towards its beak. Then it fired, cutting along the top of the hotel. The structure rocked, forcing Ash to stand his ground while pain erupted on his chest from Greninja being hit. Serena also looked wobbly, but remained standing. It didn't account for the sight when the Hyper Beam had finished.

The roof was nearly bisected, a great chasm to the floor below visible along the surface. Greninja was hanging there, gripping to Pikachu, while Braixen was steadying herself on the edge. Ash looked to Deirdre, and a point beyond her, where he could see Talonflame and Staraptor rising, holding to what looked like Clemont. His friend was drawing close, and Ash opted for a separate strategy, focusing on his Z-Ring.

"Do you see, Ash?  _This_  is the conviction we hold," Deirdre was speaking. Some stones crumbled away, and the sound of voices down below showed that people from the lobby were exiting the command center. The Hyper Beam had done far more damage than Ash expected. "I told you our convictions would clash. Now you see the extent of that."

"You can keep saying that all you want, but we're going to protect our world, even from people who once tried to save it!" Ash called out, hoping it would distract the woman long enough. He slowly stepped back, hoping she wouldn't notice him gaining some distance while Serena stepped forward to join him. "In the end, that doesn't matter! You still worked with Team Rocket, killed innocent people, and are using something that you shouldn't to create a world that'll never exist!"

"You mean the meteonite?" Deirdre asked. She once more raised a finger in a scold, tsking him rather loudly. "Oh, Ash, in some ways, you're still a naïve, little boy. You want to know which of us has it on us. Is that right?"

"Not really," Ash told her, grinning a bit. "I just wanted to make you think I was. Let's go! Pikachu, Electro Ball! Greninja!"

"Nin!" Greninja hauled himself up as Ash crossed his fists, the blue glow of a Waterium-Z exploding from the surface. Clemont was now close enough to strike. Altaria seemed to sense what was about to happen and soared in for Deirdre, but Ash already saw that complication before the Humming Pokémon could intervene. Ash's arms uncrossed before flowing like water, the power bursting into Greninja as he became surrounded by a powerful veil of water.

"If you have the meteonite, we're about to figure it out, because we'll just beat you and take it!" Ash smirked out. Clemont tossed a pokeball, Luxray emerging on their side of the rooftop, padding forward for all of a second before moving in with a Wild Charge that zapped to life on his mane. Braixen was acting, too, firing out another Hidden Power. "Hydro Vortex!"

Greninja shot off, his speed far higher than normal as he sped around Deirdre's form. It was a bit more brutal than Ash would have liked, but given the smaller area, there was no space to do anything else to achieve the results needed. Greninja whirled around, the cyclone of water forming tightly. Pikachu's Electro Ball and Braixen's Hidden Power hit the Z-Move, merging with it. Altaria bounced into the watery cyclone, rebounding from it as it cried with distress. Luxray was within as Clemont landed on the roof, the three of them watching.

"Louise didn't have the meteonite," Clemont told them, and Ash nodded as Greninja shot down. Water exploded all over the place, and electricity exploded with it, Luxray's Wild Charge clearly finding its mark as it hit the water and caused the current to burst around with the zaps. "But…I'm worried. They knew to target the castle, somehow; that the civilians were inside it and not the coliseum. It worried me enough that I decided to find you. How could they have known?"

"We're about to find out," Serena pointed out, all three of them facing the sight of the now fading Z-Move, with Greninja leaping back. His comrades joined him in doing so, ready for another round, in case that hadn't been enough to take Deirdre down. The hotel groaned with its cracking.

"Well, crap, you just  _had_  to use a Z-Move on  _me_ , didn't you?" Ash's heartbeat sped up, and he felt his stomach plummet. He had expected  _something_  to come out of his planned strike, perfect with the execution of his friends. However, as the steam cleared, he didn't expect to see Deirdre stride out confidently, her body flickering, pieces of her missing. But she wasn't bloody. No…instead, it almost seemed as if she was…

"An illusion?" Clemont asked, the question leaving his mouth with a gasping breath. Behind Deirdre's body, a shadow rippled, causing Deirdre's body to ripple as well. A crackling sound shouted over the walkies.

"Everyone!" Kahili shouted, showing she was communicating with everyone in the city. "There  _was_  a meteonite in Alastair's possession, but…it's gone. It crumbled in my hands."

"Because it isn't real," Deirdre taunted. Her body was fading away, a smirk stretching her lips. Horror filled Ash as realization dawned inside him. Her hair never fluttered. Her attacks moved so fast, it was like they never made physical contact. She didn't "move the same", according to Nanu. She could vanish into thin air, like a shadow. And now, even a Z-Move had done nothing but cause her to ripple, vanishing before their eyes. Things began to click into place, and the truth of what Deirdre was…no, not what  _she_  was, but what she had  _presented_  herself as, caused a sickening ball to form inside Ash. "None of it was ever real, Ash. Not the meteonites you saw, and not this form here."

Like a snap, her illusory form seemed to fade away, and two shadows split off, traveling in different directions entirely, almost completely invisible to the naked eye, Altaria going after one of them as it was lost in the confusion. Before she faded completely, though, the smirk on her lips the last thing to do so, Deirdre spoke the most heinous of truths, and Ash realized just how wrong they were since the battle had started. No…since Team Rocket had begun their own operations.

"The meteonite and myself have been in Ancien City from the very beginning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm sorry, did I say there was only one big twist in this story? Because there isn't. The Deirdre they've been fighting the whole story has been naught but an illusion. How was it created? Well, that's a secret I'm not sharing yet, but it will be revealed soon, I can assure you. This has been hinted at very often, actually, though I stopped just short of making it obvious. But now the cat's out of the bag and the "holy crap" moment of the characters has arrived: Deirdre was always in Ancien City. Remember Chapter 1? Yeah, she never left. (Like I'd put in something so random…)
> 
> Other than that, most of IDEAL has been taken out, but with this revelation, how will the battle fare from here on out, and what can it truly mean? What can be believed at all in this battle? Well, hopefully you enjoyed the major fight this chapter, even if the climax has now taken a huge turn.
> 
> The near turning point of the climax is here, so get ready and buckle in! Until that time, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	21. A Resurgence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like surprising readers. I may not always do the unexpected, but sometimes I seem to be able to. Last chapter seemed to do that. Lots thought there was a traitor, though that wouldn't have made sense. This twist, however, does, and you'll start seeing just how. Time for Chapter 21!

Chapter 21

A Resurgence

A horrible wrenching noise filled the air, and underneath Ash's feet, he could feel tremors. The roof was giving way beneath him and the others, but all he could do for that moment was look at the spot Deirdre had vanished. No…it was hard to say she had vanished when her form had never been real to begin with. His mind kept asking why. Why hadn't they noticed earlier? Why hadn't they  _tried_  to notice earlier?

"Ash, we need to move!" Serena shouted, gripping at his arm. She had recovered far faster than he, and Ash turned his head, locking eyes with his wife. Hers were just as wide, reflecting his own confusion setting in. She hadn't recovered, but she had enough presence of mind to know that they needed to get off of the building right that instant. There was another loud wrenching, and the sound of rubble falling.

"I think this whole hotel is about to completely collapse…" Clemont observed, kneeling at the edge of the chasm that was a sign of the hotel's splitting. "That Hyper Beam was insane…or was it the Z-Move itself that did it…?"

"Who cares?" Ash asked. Clemont shrugged sheepishly, clearly realizing that now wasn't the time to be scientifically musing about what was causing their command center to be broken apart. Ash didn't mean to sound so harsh, either, but in light of what had been revealed, he still felt himself slip into a state of shock. Serena's hand on his reminded him that they were in a battle, however. Knowing that, he reached back and pulled out the flute from his bag, blowing once on it. Charizard was too far away, scorching the enemy Pokémon in the air.

"Altaria's Hyper Beam never seemed that powerful before…" Serena commented while the three of them waited, their Pokémon drawing close. It prompted Serena and Clemont to return their own. The sharp cry of Latias filled the air, and Ash looked up to the rainbow sky. There were less Pokémon than before attacking the city, but still enough to cause problems for the fighters that remained below, especially with so little seeming to be fighting above.

"She was probably holding back," Ash said. Latias became visible now, shooting right for the three of them. The hotel shuddered, the piece they were on beginning to lean down towards the street. Their feet began to slip, and Ash took a final look around the airspace of the city; like its trainer, Altaria seemed to have vanished, but not in the same sense. "Didn't want us to engage her too closely. So, when we finally became too much of a threat, Altaria turned up the heat to stop us from reaching her, even if it didn't work. I'd hate to see that thing with even more power."

"Right now, the only power we should think about protecting is our own. I'm not about to die here," Clemont stated, pushing up on his glasses. Ash agreed wholeheartedly, letting a grin plaster itself on to his face. Latias had reached them, and all of them there jumped on to her back, with Pikachu yet again clinging to Ash's shirt. Greninja once more leapt from the building with alacrity, while she zoomed away from the falling building, aiming towards the ground, where Ash could see Diantha and a number of others still gathering, having escaped the building. Thankfully, among them were Brock, Aria, and even those that appeared wounded, like Astrid, now wearing a jacket on herself. Another creaking and cracking, and Ash looked to the collapsing building, watching as it was tipping over. Clemont reached for a pokeball. "I know you're tired, Vikavolt, but I need you to use String Shot and hold the hotel together as much as you can!"

"Vik…" Vikavolt seemed to breathe out heavily, but he still listened to Clemont, spewing a thick string as he zipped around the hotel. Latias finally lowered them to the ground and dropped them off. Diantha was at the front, her Gardevoir holding up a Reflect, while Gladion's Toxapex was out, helping to hold off the crumbling building as much as he could.

"Latias, use Giga Impact! Help push it into place," Ash called the second they'd touched down to the ground. Latias shot for the hotel, ramming into it with her yellow and purple aura. She strained, crying out, but continued to push.

"That's a hell of an idea! Yo, Gladion, get yer Honchkrow to bring Golisopod up there!" Guzma ordered. Gladion scowled at him, but nodded. Honchkrow appeared, grabbing hold of Golisopod and bringing him up to the level necessary to push the building further in. Vikavolt continued his rotations, slowly binding the hotel together. Ash looked up and saw some of his fliers, while Seamus called his Emboar out.

"Guys, bring any physical fighters up to the air! Push it back into place!" Ash yelled. All at once, his Talonflame, Staraptor, Swellow and Unfezant dove downwards. Charizard was right with them, but instead of picking up another Pokémon, he just joined Latias in pushing the hotel back into position. Everyone drew closer to Diantha, her Gardevoir continuing to shield them all while the others pushed. From Serena's side, Primarina appeared, pushing into the hotel with an Aqua Jet. Ash felt his throat constricting, watching as it slowly moved back into position. Then Vikavolt rapidly made moves around the building until he ran out of string, tumbling through the air. The Pokémon stopped pushing. The building stopped moving.

"Made it…" Seamus sighed out, with even Zoroark patting his back. However, his relief didn't last long as all those on the ground below turned to Ash. He knew what was coming. "What happened up there?"

"Last I heard was from Team Rocket, telling me that you'd found Deirdre. Was she on the roof?" Diantha asked. Steven was drawing closer now. Ash shook his head.

"She was, and she wasn't. We were played the entire time, Diantha," Ash informed the Champion. Everyone there didn't seem to understand, but that didn't matter, with Ash planning to explain it all further. "Deirdre…she was never  _real_. At least, not in the sense that we knew her."

"Now…hold on…a damn second," Nanu's voice suddenly crackled over the walkies. Ash flicked his eyes briefly inside the destroyed lobby of the hotel, noticing that all of their communication devices had been destroyed by the Hyper Beam ripping through the location. Their walkies were all they had left now. "I know Deirdre, and so does dragon champ. She ain't some lie."

"Oh, she's real, all right," Serena sighed out, breathing a little loudly from exhaustion. "Just…the thing we've been facing  _wasn't_. It was an illusion. Altaria might not have been, but she was."

"Deirdre's been in the city from the beginning," Ash told them. Diantha's face flashed with fury as Gardevoir lowered her Reflect. "She knew everything: where we were moving civilians, where the command center was. I'm sure they knew our entire battle plan! They planned everything from way before we came here!"

"And the meteonite with them," Clemont observed.

"So, it was a fake meteonite?" Kahili questioned over the walkie. "Where's the real one the-aah!" The sound of Kahili's voice getting cut off sent a disturbed chill down Ash's spine, along with all of those with him. He grabbed at his walkie, speaking into it.

"Kahili? Kahili!" he cried, but got no answer. There seemed to be none of his sister-figure's group to answer. Diantha stepped forward, clasping to her necklace, as if preparing to Mega Evolve and destroy the enemy before them no matter what. "Something happened, and it must have been something unexpected. They had defeated Alastair it seemed."

"And Matori," Steven commented. "Go and see. Diantha, I suggest we get a count on everything that's going on across the city. If Deirdre is, indeed, in the city, along with the meteonite, then we have far less time than we thought. We'll want to see how many we've lost, and how many remain."

"It won't be a pretty number, but I agree," Diantha said, jerking her head. She looked to Ash, and he got the message. Whatever had happened with Kahili, it was beginning to become a priority. "There might be confusion settling in, so we need to settle this fast. Remember to hold on to your walkies. With the command center gone, they're all we have. Guzma, Gladion, Seamus, head into the city."

"There were two shadows," Clemont commented, the inventor clearly having noticed them, as well. His hands were pointing in opposite directions, indicating their general paths. "One headed further into the city, while the other fled towards the exit."

"We'll head further in, then. It'll give us a visual idea of what's going on around the city, as well," Gladion stated, indicating with his head where the trio was going to head to. Guzma shrugged while Seamus was already way ahead of them, Zoroark taking point for all of them. Ash turned away, and Serena with him. They turned in the direction of where Ash had last seen Kahili and Nanu holding their battle.

"They're close by, Ash. Head there on foot; I think it'll be quicker. Brock, can you go with them?" Diantha informed him. Ash looked to the woman, seeing her smile at him. There was something resting there, like a resignation for him to do all of the work. Not that he minded, but it seemed strange to him. Regardless, he brushed it off and dashed in the direction of the most ruined of the buildings around the area. Serena took lead while voices began to crackle over their walkies.

"Sectors, report in right now. And if anyone sees an Altaria, inform us this instant!" Diantha's voice came over the line. Ash grabbed at the walkie, gripping tightly to listen to all of the reports coming in, hoping against hope that their battle hadn't cost more than they'd gained. Serena continued charging ahead, for the river that wended its way through the city. The houses got progressively more destroyed as they continued along.

"This is Lance. We've pulled back from the stadium to regroup and are further in town, towards fountain square," Lance's voice called over. "We've lost a good number. Derek and almost all of ARC that remained are gone, as are some IP members; only Alpha Squad seems to still be standing."

"The same here…only three of our brothers and sisters made it," Plumeria's voice crackled out dully, sounding a little choked up over the circumstances. Guzma's voice followed her own before anyone else could report in.

"Plumeria, what the hell happened? Those are our family…" he said, sounding like his voice was quickly filling with rage at what he'd just heard. Ash swallowed; he'd been so involved in flitting around the battle, finding a Deirdre that wasn't there, that he didn't realize just how many had fallen. Serena stopped walking a moment, looking back at him while his hand was shaking on the walkie.

"I didn't have the chance to stop those idio-" Plumeria's voice cut off, just the same way that Kahili's had. His fist further tightened, nearly denting the device Clemont had spent time making. What was going on? Was Deirdre enacting some sort of trap from within the city?

"Y reporting," Serena's father spoke, a small beam of light in the darkness. "We're okay over here, though we've faced some losses as well. If it weren't for the Kalos Gym Leaders and Malva on this side, the losses could have been far higher."

"The same for us," rumbled the familiar tones of Hala, gruff but okay. "The Kahunas and captains have protected their sector."

"We're good here!" Dawn and May's voices came over together. Relief was flooding his system, mingled with grief and regret at having not done more. So many people around him and he had done nothing to truly help them, spending time pursuing a phantom.

"We're…alive…right? We're alive?"

"Yes, Maka, we're alive," Keoni's voice sighed out. "The square was held…more or less. Took some Pokémon out with a missile barrage, though we tried to protect everyone we could."

"Ash," Serena's voice cut through his thoughts, making all other things silent to him. He looked to his wife, and she reached up with her hands, cupping his face softly. His breathing slowed, his body calming while he looked at her, smiling at him lovingly. "This isn't anyone's fault. We all knew what we were doing. We all accepted that choice, just like we have again and again and again. Okay?"

"I know, I just…" Ash felt Brock's hand clap him on the shoulder, having finally caught up. His best friend didn't say a word, just grinning at him. Even Pikachu put a paw up, reminding him. He finally chuckled out. He couldn't take the blame…he just had to stop the ones who were. He needed to keep moving forward. "Right. Thanks."

"Every time," Serena assured him, offering him a light kiss on the cheek as all three once more moved to proceed forward. This time, Ash pulled ahead as the rest of the reports seemed to have come in. A number of trainers had, indeed, fallen, but it seemed as though all of his friends had managed to make it out okay, even if they had some cuts and bruises on them. Most importantly, Ancien Castle seemed to be secured, and the citizens inside were safe, even if some turrets had taken damage.

The trio rounded a corner, and found themselves face to face with the most destructive amount of carnage so far: buildings smashed, the ground ripped up, and five people scattered across the cobblestone streets of Ancien City. Instantly, Ash caught sight of Kahili, his sister-figure passed out on the road. It seemed unlike her, and worrying, so Ash ran for her. Serena ran to Alain and Sawyer, both passed out on top of each other. Ash and Brock moved together before the former split off to grab hold of Nanu, the older man groaning. Ash slid to the ground, placing his hands behind Kahili and holding her up.

"Kahili! Wake up! Kahili!" Ash yelled. The woman suddenly punched upward, forcing Ash to dodge as she stirred in his arms. "What happened here?"

"Don't know…" the blue-haired woman groaned out, fully awakening and beginning to sit up. Ash supported her back, helping her up. Paul twitched a few feet away, his hand gripping at loose stones. "We were…talking…then it was so…sleepy. And Alastair!"

"He was dragged under," Paul grunted, himself waking up and spitting at the ground distastefully. The two awakening individuals looked at each other, as though they'd shared the same vision. "Before I passed out, he was being dragged under by a shadow with red eyes. Him and Matori both…Damn it! We were pathetic."

"I don't think there's anything you could've done," Ash admitted, sharing the thoughts and feelings that Serena and Brock had helped him to remember. He breathed out a little. "This was all planned…They were here…well, maybe not Alastair and the rest, but Deirdre was in this city from the start, keeping watch on things, tricking us, no doubt hiding in the shadows. Even taking them out, they must've had a backup plan."

"The same thing probably happened with Plumeria and the others over by the castle," Serena pointed out. Ash nodded, given that it made the most sense. Louise had been there, so whatever it was must have retrieved her own body, the same as her comrades. He just had to wonder what it was, and why it had waited until now. Was there a new plan to be had, or…?

"If all of that's the case…we have no time to be sitting around," Kahili grunted. She pushed on Ash's shoulder, forcing herself into a standing position while Paul did the same. It was foolhardy, and Brock's perturbed look told him as such, but Ash didn't bother trying to stop either of them. He would have done the exact same thing if he was in their position. The only one seemingly not pushing themselves up was Nanu, now moved against a still intact wall as Brock finished patching his wounds. The Kahuna looked mildly annoyed by that. "The meteonite's in the city, and our backs are against the wall…time for us to do what we do best…"

"Only problem is," Sawyer said, finally moving to stand on his own, with Serena not fully supporting him. Alain was the same, rubbing at his temples furiously. "We don't know where it is. I mean, a big glowing meteor? You'd think someone would notice…"

"Maybe they did…" Ash mused out, tapping his chin. Before he knew it, Ash grabbed hold of the walkie talkie and instantly yelled into it, rising above all of the other voices. "Aston! Mayor Aston, before all of this began, did you see Deirdre?"

There was silence, everyone in their small quadrant recovering. Ash waited, looking around to still see the passed-out form of Aerodactyl. Whatever had taken Alastair and Matori away hadn't done so for at least one of their Pokémon. Confused mutters and what seemed like panic began to come over the waves of their devices, Ash's question clearly stirring up less than pleasant feelings inside. After a moment, however, it was Aston's voice that joined in.

"Yes," was his response. "We had a talk, and then she moved towards the stadium. It was the last I saw of her, though, so I presumed…"

"The stadium?" James' voice now came over the line, but before he could choose to say any more, Jessie and Meowth's voices drowned him out, confirming all that was beginning to form inside of Ash's mind. They really weren't down and out yet. IDEAL had the upper hand, but Team Rocket's definitive statement screamed that they hadn't lost.

"We saw that Altaria going right for the stadium, but not  _in_  the stadium."

"It looked like it was goin' ta go underground or sometin'," Meowth finished. Ash couldn't help his face forming a stern expression. He knew the space underneath the stadium better than any of the battlers here. There was plenty of space, secluded from the rest of the city or stadium, enough to hide a person or thing, especially if there was no major event taking place. That they had redesigned and added even  _more_  maintenance halls higher up all but confirmed that.

They'd found her.

"Wait, are you saying that our target should have been the stadium this entire time?" Alder's voice shouted out, clearly sounding disturbed by the turn of events. "How did they fool us?"

"But what about everyone who…?" asked the scared voice of a trainer that Ash didn't know. In fact, a multitude of voices were streaming in, panicking and scared. "Did they all die for nothing? !"

"What's going to happen next? !"

"What if that thing activates and kills us all?"

"Shut up! Bunch a sissies…"

"Guzma, keep moving," Gladion's voice barked in response to the last. From Ash's own speculation, it sounded like their group of three had already heeded the order and turned straight for the stadium as swiftly as they could. However, Lance was waiting to drop the hammer on them.

"The problem is that the road to the stadium was blasted apart by Toll. There's a massive chasm splitting the entire way there. They really wanted to keep us away," the Kanto Champion informed them. More distressed sounds started coming out of Ash's walkie and he could see Kahili grimacing from the loud noises. Things were clearly turning for the worst.

Deirdre's revelation had done everything it needed to in a matter of moments. With IDEAL's members being taken from right underneath their noses, the fallen mounting up, and the still glowing rainbow shimmer in the sky, there was no surprise that many people were growing discouraged. They weren't turning on each other, Ash knew, but they were hardly facing forward to the next battle. It was painful to listen to, one that Serena agreed with, going by her expression.

"Everyone, just calm down!" he yelled into the walkie, but it hardly seemed to do much for those arguing and freaking out over the connection. Ash thought he faintly heard Diantha's voice attempting to intervene, but hers, too, was drowned out by the wave of negativity that was consuming them. They were an army on the verge, ready to collapse now that IDEAL had pushed their pressure point.

It was almost like this was  _exactly_  what they wanted to happen: for them to fall apart, to prove to themselves that they needed a new, perfect world to prevent this very thing. It was disheartening until a single voice broke through the chaos. It was a familiar one, but not one he expected to hear again.

"SILENCE!" the command barked out. Serena froze, looking over to Ash, recognizing from the single word spoken that it had come from the lips of Merle. Or rather, the Merle that Zoroark had once presented herself as. No other word was spoken from her, but none needed to be. Seamus spoke instead.

"This isn't the time to be fighting each other, or arguing," he said softly, his voice vibrating, as though it was moving. "If there is any time for us to stand up, it's now. Leave behind everything you were. If you were someone selfish. If you were someone misguided. If you were a criminal. None of it matters now! The only thing that matters now is the fight we're heading into!"

"So, stand up! Move forward!" Ash yelled, picking up the thread of conversation. Though Seamus and Zoroark were far away, he could tell they appreciated it, beginning to smile as they no doubt ran to their intended destination. "We made a mistake! That's okay! When I started out, I made mistake after mistake, but every time, I picked myself up and walked onwards. I didn't give up on my dream, so you should never give up on yours! Move forward, hope further, and don't you  _dare_  give up!

"I don't care if you're scared. I don't care if you want to run. I want you to find your hope in the person standing next to you, drive them forward and drive yourself forward. Whatever mistake you made in the past, now is the time to leave it behind you. Head for Ancien Stadium! Let's end this here and now! Let's fight until the very end for  _our_  future!"

Silence followed those proclamations, and Ash's hand shook with the walkie in his hold, waiting for a response. Kahili smirked at him. Then, Diantha's voice spoke out.

"You heard the man. Get moving to the stadium. Champions, it's time we team up!" Diantha spoke, the hard humor in her voice not escaping Ash. If Ash's words hadn't done the trick, then Diantha's single sentence certainly had. For the first time in the entire battle, all of the Champions would be joining together in battle. There was enough cause for celebration at that.

"Well, guess we should get moving, too," Alain chuckled out, his Charizard roaring with the victory settling in their veins. Kahili tossed a glance back to Nanu.

"You up for another round, old man?" she asked. Nanu chuckled under his breath, pushing against the wall while Persian remained as a silent sentinel next to him. He got himself into a standing position while Kahili winced from her own wounds. Ash frowned, but chose to not say anything to any of them.

"I'm always ready if you are, bird lady. Can't have someone whose top Pokémon is a toucan be fighting while I'm not," Nanu snarked out. Brock seemed to take offense with both of them.

"The both of you look a step away from major blood loss, and your Pokémon are on the brink of exhaustion. I can't, in good conscience as a doctor, allow any of you back on to the battlefield," Brock said sternly. Paul flashed him a glare, rolling his shoulders as they cracked a little. Following that, the doctor gave a sigh, and Ash knew just what was coming. "That said, I know I won't be able to stop any of you, so you better find a doctor or stay with me so you don't get yourselves killed."

"Fine by me. Electivire, still on standby," Paul said. Electivire grinned, looking over at Pikachu, who nodded. They were ready to move on. Ash walked forward, the others all coming behind him. Greninja stood tall, just as all of the others had their Pokémon stand forward with him. Their allies were no doubt moving towards the stadium, especially with the sounds of movement behind their own group, towards the edge of the city.

"Everyone! Time for the final battle! Let's win!"

"Pikachuuuu!"

"Keep up, old man."

"Heh." The others remained silent, but all came to flank Ash, Serena standing right by him with twinkling eyes. His hand slipped in hers a moment, giving it a squeeze, thanking her for her words of encouragement. Then, he took a step forward, Pikachu grinning on his shoulder, and they all began to run.

The ruined streets of the city began to flash by them as they did so, the rubble no object to their progression. Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder, down to the ground to join with his fellow Pokémon. In the sky above, Latias and Charizard were in action, attacking the remaining Pokémon that were there. It seemed almost like half of the army was down, but many more were still standing or flying. IDEAL wasn't going to make this easy. A shout from a Skarmory sounded out, two closing in on their sides, but Alain and Sawyer were already snapping into action.

"Leaf Blade!"

"Dragon Claw!" Neither stopped their movements, but Sceptile and Charizard leapt forward, the green extensions slicing forward from both of them. The Skarmory fell instantly as two more swooped down from the air.

"Croagunk!" the Toxic Mouth Pokémon called out, leaping into the air from Brock's side and bringing a powerful Brick Break down upon the Skarmory's head. Up ahead, there appeared to be some Drifblim moving in, like an ominous cloud.

"Pikachu, Greninja, let's do this!" Ash called, flipping his hat back with a grin. Paul scoffed while Serena giggled. Kahili didn't waste time with any of that, Toucannon sailing forward into the mess of Drifblim. Pikachu kept running, sending a Thunderbolt hurling forward. It collided, sending three of the Drifblim down at once, only for more to rise up, pulsing with an orange aura.

"Shadow Ball!" Diantha's voice rang out. At the same moment as a large, shadowy orb came flying, a silvery beam shot with it. The two combined, slamming into the mess of Drifblim and exploding. No one stopped running, and neither did the group that was catching up with them. Diantha was right at the lead. "Didn't think you'd catch up with us, but I guess we have a rather large group to coordinate!"

"Hey, at least we're no longer spread out over the city," Kahili grunted. Diantha nodded in her direction. It didn't take long before she looked back to Ash, who could see others joining with their streaming group. Steven was leading the pack, joined by Aria, Burnet (who didn't have a Pokémon of her own), as well as Mallow and Lana. Kiawe was following behind on his Charizard, with Aston sitting alongside him, Tyranitar keeping up with the pack.

"That's a silver lining," Paul scoffed once more. Ash had to laugh at that, and Diantha laughed at his side. Serena grinned, Braixen reappearing with her as she did so.

"That's what we're all about!" she laughed out. They kept moving forward, going into one of the larger streets, where it seemed some thrashing Rhydon were milling about the streets. In Ash's periphery, he could see Brock joining up at Aria's side, the former Kalos Queen taking his hand as she briefly reached up to give him a kiss. Ash laughed a little, letting that faint positivity seep into him as he ran further. Some bodies littered the streets, remnants of an earlier battle, but no one let that stop them. Especially Serena, who kept talking. "Even if it seems impossible. Even if there's no hope…"

"We find it, and keep going!" Clemont shouted out, joining in with them.

"So, there's no need to worry!" Dawn's own voice rejoined, a sudden Whirlpool slamming into the streets ahead of them. That was soon met by a great outpouring of water that Ash saw was coming from Misty's Gyarados, slithering through the streets. All four of Ash's past companions were riding atop it, Blaziken and Excadrill atop its head as they went. The Rhydon were all washed away.

"Heck, yeah!" Ash yelled out with a great grin on his lips. The four women slid down Gyarados' back, joining their entire crowd. Some of their surging forces leapt over the broken houses and the rubble (with, indeed, some hobbling over the mess before them). On the horizon, the stadium was drawing ever closer. Although, it wasn't the only thing doing so.

"Looks like they won't be letting us through easily," Steven commented, and he raised his hand up to his lapel, taking his stickpin out. Diantha seemed to smile at him, the two Champions sharing an unspoken connection, while she grabbed her necklace. "Mega Evolve!"

As they continued to run, Ash watched as a number Mandibuzz appeared to swarm ahead like a dark crowd. Light blossomed from within their group as the two Champions moved into action, each Mega Evolving their Pokémon. They didn't seem to be the only ones, however. A bright light was shining from another intersection up ahead. Even behind them, there seemed to be light bursting, and from the smile blossoming on Clemont's face, he knew who it was joining them in the battle. Reaching for his back, Ash knew they weren't alone.

"Water Shuriken!" Ash cried out, and he made to throw the liquid blade. Greninja acted, doing so in his mimicked movements. The shuriken flew forward, slamming into the Mandibuzz as two Fighting types came charging from the intersection ahead, one with green blades for arms, and another with an orange glowing fist. Scorching electricity blasted out behind the two that landed in front, before an Ice Shard slammed into the Mandibuzz, knocking them off kilter, and revealing the path to the chasm before the stadium. "We're almost there guys, one last push!"

"Yeah!" The crowd cheered as the area opened up, the chasm nearly upon them. The remaining Mandibuzz dove towards them, firing out a Dark Pulse. From the sides, Ash caught a glimpse of all his own Pokémon coming to join the battle, his Infernape in particular offering Paul's Electivire a cheeky grin.

"Flash Cannon!" Steven yelled out, not stopping his running. He wasn't alone in attacking. From behind him, numerous Hydro Pumps fired out alongside the lustrous cannon. Ash flicked back to see Piplup working in concert with Gyarados, as well as Gary and Tierno's Blastoise. The Mandibuzz were knocked back while Dugtrio and Golem seemed to be emerging from within the chasm.

"Blast Burn!" Alain yelled, and to Ash's surprise, he wasn't alone. Trevor's Charizard came roaring in, his own plunging for the ground with the fiery fist. Riding atop it was a Mega Blaziken, leaping off and sailing inwards with a Flare Blitz, which Infernape joined in with, the blue blaze the most noticeable of the group. The fiery forces coalesced and slammed into that group of Pokémon lining the chasm, causing the area to explode further. More of the road crumbled away, but seemed to leave that path clear. Whatever was left was soon cleaned up by Sceptile's own whipping Frenzy Plant, Decidueye appearing from Ash's side and joining Ash's own Sceptile in slicing through the mess of roots. Finally, their group reached the intersection they had been approaching, and what looked like Korrina, Kukui, Maka and Keoni joined them. They were by no means alone.

"Clemont, you kinda left something behind! Hi, daddy!" Bonnie waved back to her father, but continued running, supporting Clemont's bag between her and Max.

"This thing is heavy…how do you wear it all the time?" Max groaned out, the duo catching up with Clemont and tossing him the backpack. Ash was surprised to see him so easily slip the bag over himself.

"Because my brother is awesome!" Bonnie shouted, merging with the stream of the crowd. "Now, time for  _us_  to be awesome! Squishy, rested enough?"

"Blrbl!" Squishy called, leaping out from Bonnie's bag. Green lights shined all around the city and began to stream forward, colliding with Squishy's body as he transformed into the giant green snake that Ash was used to at this point. Two other trainers ran forward, a Braviary carrying a Sawk as they beat away the recovering Mandibuzz, cutting them more of a path.

"We got this!" called the voice of Bruce, leaping down from a ruined building with a grin.

"Nothing we can't handle, bro. This is nothing compared to a sinking ship!" Trent agreed. Ash raised an eyebrow, but soon turned his attention to Bonnie's partner. Squishy reared back, and sent a Dragon Pulse flying out, the draconic beam roaring forth with three heads.

"Speaking of brothers, has anyone seen mine?" Lillie asked. Hau just shrugged with his grin as Pipi floated forward ahead of him, surfing along the ground. She flipped on her tail in greeting to Pikachu. The two joined a Thunderbolt together, matched with Conway's Dusknoir and a familiar Magnezone's Thunder to clear more of the path around Squishy.

"Last I saw Gladion, Guzma and Seamus, they were getting close to the stadium," Cynthia's cool voice answered. Ash looked to the other side, noticing the group he'd left behind earlier now approaching from their right. The chasm still remained as an obstacle to them. "I have no idea what became of them, but it's irrelevant."

"Yes," Diantha agreed. "We're all heading for the same spot."

_Then fear not!_  Squishy's voice called out, his large form reaching the chasm and suddenly extending.  _I can hold this form as long as is necessary! You must cross me!_

"Thanks, Squishy! You're the best!" Bonnie cheered on, her own face grinning. Diantha and Steven surged ahead, and were soon joined by Kukui, Cynthia, Lance and Alder. The six of them moved to cross the Zygarde bridge first, making it the easiest way to get to the stadium, even as their forces glutted the streets. Ash looked at Greninja, the frog nodding. Their feelings focused inward, trying to sense where Seamus, Gladion and Guzma had fled to. All he could sense, however, was a large conglomeration of pulsing power inside the stadium. Whether it was solely Deirdre or the meteonite, he couldn't know, but it put Ash on his guard and convinced him of the number one space for them to get to posthaste. It may have been covered up by Toll's presence before, but now it was all crystal clear.

"Watch out for IDEAL!" Serena shouted out. The Champions heeded her words, and she continued on. "If there are still this many Pokémon attacking, it means Aegislash may not have been controlling them, after all…and they're still getting orders."

"Maybe all of them are still up and fighting," Plumeria stated, herself now joining the surging army. Ash and Clemont looked to her, finally reaching Squishy's body. He silently thanked the noble beast, and began to lead the charge alongside all of them, over towards the hill of the stadium. The stairs were still cracked and gone, but Ash knew that wouldn't be a problem. "That Louise bitch vanished into the shadows, and before she did, it looked like she was up and moving again. And let me guess? Dumbass Guzma went right into the thick of it…show off."

"Well, that's Guzma for you!" Ash laughed out. Plumeria rolled her eyes; he forgot how much she hated complications, and this was certainly one of them. Nevertheless, she plunged further into the thick of the crowd alongside her Salazzle. A roar and cry above showed Ash that all of his airborne Pokémon were joining back into the battle, with some of his smaller ground-based ones gathering on both Charizard and Latias' back. They dropped off, as some of his own larger Pokémon, such as Heracross, Krookodile and Sceptile, came stampeding through the city streets to join with all of them.

Ash jumped off on the other side of Zygarde, but continued for the stadium. Serena nearly tripped over her feet, but she was caught by Aria and Maka, the two of them grinning at her as they helped her to regain her balance. In fact, as Ash looked back, he saw another, and familiar, younger girl pushing her back, supporting her. A beaming smile came to Ash's face while he looked to Pikachu; Serena was truly loved by so many, inspiring the generation that would come after to push her forward as their growing light. The same seemed to be for Clemont, with Conway and Kenneth, both, huffing and puffing alongside the inventor and some other uniformed Aether individuals. Seeing his friends and his wife being so supported by the trainers that remained, Ash threw his fist into the air, and others did the same alongside him.

"Pikachu, let's get to that stadium!" Ash yelled out. Pikachu and Greninja called back to him, agreeing, and he felt their own strength and presence surge inside of him. Some of the Pokémon above fired out attacks that exploded behind the army, but none of them stopped moving.

Ash couldn't see the chaos going on behind him, but he knew enough not to stop. If any had fallen, the army was pushing them back up. If they stumbled, they were dragged along. Lives lost or not, none of them were stopping, because they were still pulling the fallen forward with them. At last, Ash's foot stepped on to the hill that would lead to the stadium's entrance and the lobby beyond. Greninja was leaping upwards, and some of his other Pokémon were charging up the hill. The Champions were already halfway up.

"Looks like…we have…a little bit…to go…" Clemont breathed out. Ash reached over, locking his friend with his arm and dragging him up. Bonnie gave a loud cheer, reaching her hand out to Clemont, her brother taking it. Then she took Max's hand, who took Hau's and then Lillie's connecting them in a chain that refused to break. Serena gripped Ash's other hand, and then Aria's, and all of their Pokémon went ahead.

"Incoming!" shouted Cynthia from ahead. Ash looked up, just in time to see a streaking green Pin Missile firing out for them. It confirmed what Plumeria had suspected. The large projectiles fired outward, streaking for their whole group.

"Psybeam!"

"Shadow Ball!" Jessie and James' command came swiftly, their two loyal Pokémon zooming forth to fire their beam and projectile at the incoming assault. Ash looked up in time to see their balloon pass over head. Wobbuffet jumped out, sailing right for the center of those projectiles. Inkay and Gourgeist's attacks made contact, exploding around the air. But for those that were missed, Wobbuffet took them head on, shining brightly. The light coalesced together, and then blasted forward, cutting into the stadium. Dust and stone erupted from the top, obscuring the view of the top of that stadium. The Champions were nearly at the top of the hill, while Ash helped continuing to drag everyone atop the incline. Even so, Ash kept his gaze locked upwards, peering through that dust cloud.

"No further, I'm afraid," a voice rang out before it managed to clear. Ash's eyes narrowed, and each one of them slowed in their steps, even as they proceeded uphill, the entrance to the stadium nearly in sight. Finally, the obscuring dust seemed to clear from the top of the stadium, and standing atop it, watching them all with his right eye, was Alastair. Ash scoffed internally at the sight; he certainly lived up to his title. "You all had a good run of things, but our gloves are off now."

"We're not stopping!" Ash yelled to the man. Kahili spat out loudly as all of their hands disengaged from one another. The raven-haired trainer stepped forward, brandishing a fist up to Alastair. "You played us long enough, but we've figured you out."

"I seriously doubt that," was the reply.

"He looks almost unharmed," Kahili commented upon testily, and clearly not glad whatsoever at the sight. Ash could immediately agree with the observation as he watched Alastair. Aegislash was floating there, drooping slightly from clear exhaustion, but despite the wounds that had no doubt been inflicted in the man's earlier battle, he didn't show signs of them at all.

"Likely just another illusion," Clemont pointed out. Ash nodded, accepting it as the likely explanation. "They seem to be rather adept at them, and they're about as used to giving up as we are, which would mean not at all."

"Yes, Clemont, we are rather skilled at the art of concealment," Alastair spoke, turning his attentions to all of them there. The Champions had reached the top of the hill, all looking up to Alastair, his trench coat fluttering in the wind. A scowl stretched his face, Ash now saw, along with what seemed to be a grimace of pain. Hidden or not, those wounds most certainly hadn't gone away. "Concealing our presence, our intentions, our pain."

"Is your own pain really enough cause for you to do so for others?" Diantha asked, her own voice echoing across the area. "We've all suffered some measure of pain, so who are you to cause further pain?"

"Myself? I'm no one," came the simple answer. Aegislash continued to hover around while the man reached up, grabbing at his left eye. For a moment, just a few feet away from the Champions, Ash stopped, watching just what Deirdre's second-in-command seemed to be trying to do.

It was a sickening result.

With what seemed to be a twitch of his fingers, Alastair had reached in, and pulled his left eye forward. Only there was no blood or gore, or anything even remotely organic. Even the eye itself seemed to be made of technology rather than the usual biology, lights surrounding the interior of the artificial substance as it sparked with electricity, clearly having absorbed some of it. Alastair snapped it back in, and began speaking once more. "I'm just a shadow, abandoned by the League. My use to them is and was worth zero. All of us are. So, we're turning that zero into a one in the best way we believe, and sometimes that means putting our own accounts into the negatives. Sometimes that means not stopping, no matter what must be done to ensure it. I'm sorry, Champions, but I…or rather, we, require more of your blood."

"Everyone, defense, now!" Serena yelled back to the still approaching army. Alastair reached up and snapped. Like that, another volley of Pin Missile shot out, while flames began to erupt from the ground, separating them from the stadium. Protects shot up around the army, peppering them and trying to provide as much of a shield as possible.

"Head Smash, Bouffalant!" Alder roared out. His Bash Buffalo Pokémon glowed red around its tufts of fur and charged forward, right for the walls of the stadium. His immense force seemed to split the flames in two. Ash looked to Greninja, and the Ninja Pokémon leapt to the air, flinging his Water Shuriken down, joined with a multitude of Hydro Pumps and Water Guns (including his own Buizel's) to put the flames out. Bouffalant continued his charge, slamming into the stadium. It rocked from the force, though Alastair held his balance.

"Hyper Beam, Dragonite!" Lance ordered. He wasn't alone. Both Dragonite and Metagross aimed up towards Alastair and fired, one with a darkened beam and another with lustrous silver. Aegislash snapped to attention, forming a shield to block the attack. Alastair snapped again, and instead of attacks from within the stadium, more wild, controlled Pokémon went after them.

"We'll circle from behind," Diantha called, she and Cynthia leaping over the remaining embers to aim for the lobby, leaving the male Champions to battle behind, except for Kukui, who joined the women. Alastair watched them, but his expression remained unchanging.

"He has something waiting for them inside," Ash realized, looking to all his friends around him. They may have been Champions, but an ambush was still an ambush. Clearly, Alastair wanted to prevent them from getting to Deirdre and the meteonite at all cost. Dragonite flew upwards, pulsing red with an Outrage as he aimed for Alastair. Ash looked back to the elderly Aston. "Mayor Aston, how can someone get below the stadium?"

"Maintenance door we put in during the redesign to reach the uppermost hall…but that's on the other…side of the stadium," Aston puffed out. He leaned back, resting on a walking stick before Brock propped him up, looking after the old man's health. Ash had no doubt that was where Seamus' group had headed, probably hoping to circumvent the damage or the fight, given they were nowhere to be seen. "Otherwise, the controls in the commentator's box will lower the arena. You know that."

"Yeah…all too well," Ash agreed. His brain was trying to think of a way to get past Alastair's defense, when Serena reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked to his wife, and she smiled.

"The three of us," she insisted. Ash looked to her, almost confused, but she leaned up and kissed him. "Clemont and I will go for Team Rocket and get to the box. You just get ready to fight her."

"Serena…" Ash said worriedly, but seeing the steel within her eyes, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her in any other way. He nodded, and clasped her hands, before throwing an arm over Clemont again. "Be safe. Kahili, everyone else, keep fighting! Make Alastair distracted as long as possible! Team Rocket!"

"We're on it, twerp!" Jessie shouted out, and Ash saw the balloon begin to lower, scooping up Wobbuffet. Giving another squeeze to his wife's hand, Ash split away from the two of them, running right for the entrance to the lobby, the doors now broken in from Cynthia's Garchomp's Dragon Rush. His Pokémon gave an affirmative cry behind him, indicating that they were following his orders.

"Meteor Mash! Go!" Steven shouted, catching sight of Ash and urging him onward. Ash nodded. Pikachu and Greninja flashed ahead of him, sprinting through the still dying flames. Ash was just feet behind them, aiming for the lobby. Before entering, he looked back once more, seeing Team Rocket's balloon take off, while Kahili seemed to take charge of the others there, still battling. On top of it, he saw Decidueye, Bulbasaur, Bayleef and Sceptile back to back, making a combination on the foes besetting them and protecting a group of trainers including the also back-to-back Maka and Keoni, wearing matching grins as they glanced at each other. Even his fliers, including Latias and Charizard, were pulling their weight in the skies above. A large blast rocked the stadium again, this time from inside.

"Pikachu, Greninja, get ready to attack!" Ash yelled to his partners. They confirmed receipt of his commands as they finally ran into the lobby. Sure enough, forces were inside there, as if appearing from the shadows, a number of Haxorus and Druddigon appearing, each pulsing with that wicked orange glow. "Thunderbolt! Aerial Ace!"

"Garchomp, Giga Impact!" Cynthia called. Each struck forward, Pikachu sending his searing lightning bolt to one of the Druddigon, while Greninja aimed for a Haxorus. Ash found himself mimicking Greninja's movements, stomping down on the ground while his Water type forced the Axe Jaw Pokémon's head to slam into the hard surface. Garchomp charged forward, the swirling purple and yellow light around her figure, before breaking through a row of the Totem Pokémon and straight through the walls of the stadium. Ash quirked an eyebrow. In a single movement, Garchomp's attack had broken through to the actual arena itself, now visible…and empty.

"Sable!" Ash twisted around, hearing Greninja's cry in his head as he saw the shadowy claw shoot out from the ground. His body twisted, barely nicked by the slice, only ripping his jacket a bit while the Sableye emerged from the ground. Ash's eyes flicked all over the place; was Matori nearby? It almost seemed like she was, from Sableye's presence, but she didn't show herself.

"Moonblast!" Diantha roared out. To that, Ash dove out of the way, pulling off a combat roll to the side to gain ground faster. Diantha's Gardevoir absorbed light quickly, and with a great heave, sent the pulsing, pearlescent orb firing out, growing in size as it slammed into Sableye. The attack continued on, crashing into the walls that framed the entranceway, before exploding all around them. The rocks rained outward, and Ash saw many of the fighters putting up Protects to shield their groups from the rubble. The path, however, was cleared at last. More Dragon Pokémon were emerging from the shadows, only to be sliced by a purple Psycho Cut that damaged more of the walls into the stadium, but left the other two standing.

"You all best head on! Gallade and I can handle things here and use an expert Beat Up on these guys," Kukui called out as his Mega Gallade pummeled a Haxorus and quickly left it slumped.

"Right! Thanks, professor!" Ash called. He sprang back to his feet and ran forward with all the haste he could muster, Pikachu and Greninja running right along. Cynthia and Diantha were right at his side, their prize Pokémon joining in on the flight forward. Ash leapt upwards, climbing atop the rubble to get into the stadium. Cynthia's earlier attack had destroyed a portion of the stands, making it a little difficult, but still easy enough to climb over.

"Dura! Dura! Durarara!" The clicking and creeping noises made Ash turn his head, and with widened eyes, he saw a whole fleet of Durant making their way towards their group from both sides of the halls in the stadium. It was like a metallic swarm that was looking to consume them. Cynthia stopped running, and her reasons didn't need to be spoken. Further back, others had started entering into the lobby.

"Don't die," Diantha spoke, she and Ash continuing to flee onwards. They climbed upwards, and soon Gardevoir's eyes glowed blue, lifting all but Greninja upwards (though he scaled them in leaps). Before long, they were at the top of the destroyed rubble and began working their way down. Overhead, Ash could see Serena and Clemont dropping from Team Rocket's balloon on to the stands opposite Alastair, running for the commentator's box that they knew so well. "Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!"

The second they'd skidded into the stadium, Gardevoir made an about face, forming a pulsing Shadow Ball that grew to nearly ten times the size of her usual assault method. Then she sent it flying towards Alastair, the man still dealing with the Champions on the other side. The inky orb shot forward, whizzing through the air, while Alastair turned. He jumped to the side, and the blast blew apart the stands, barely missing him while Aegislash went unharmed. Ash looked to see, and noticed both Camerupt and Beedrill there, though they looked nearly spent from their earlier battles.

"This ends now, Alastair!" Diantha called out, raising a finger to point up at him. His face tightened.

"For you, yes," he told her. Then, he sighed, and patted his leg a bit. A shadow rippled between both Beedrill and Camerupt. "And it is for you, and you alone, Champion, that I will make a simple concession in this battle. Gengar, Shadow Ball."

"Moonblast!" Diantha roared out. Ash nearly dove to the side, not wanting to get involved in their battle. Gardevoir charged up her pearlescent orb, and then fired it upwards. A Gengar materialized, eyes glowing red, and realization began to set into Ash about what had been controlling the army the entire time. The Shadow Ball and the Moonblast collided, sending ripples all across the stadium. Ash almost flew from his feet, but charged headfirst for the stadium's center. Serena and Clemont were at the commentator's box already, looking for a way to lower the arena, while Team Rocket made a turnaround back for the battle. "Shadow Ball!"

"Double Team, and fire," Alastair spoke. Aegislash remained guarding from behind, consistently changing forms, but Ash didn't focus on that. He just watched his wife and friend working up above. The Gengar split into multiple copies, each forming their own Shadow Ball, and then firing. Gardevoir did the same, all of the orbs launching into the air and slamming into each other. They burst in smoke and shadowy particles, raining downwards. "Pin Missile!"

"Reflect!" Diantha called. The green projectiles burst from Beedrill, and Ash finally realized that neither Louise nor Toll were anywhere in sight. Alastair was running this all on his own, ragged though he was beginning to seem in the moment, his very breath seeming like a guttural growl. They truly were not stopping for a second; neither side was giving up an inch in the least. The missiles slammed into Gardevoir's blue, circular shield, barely defending her. "Now, Psychic on the stands."

"Garde!" Gardevoir shouted out, eyes glowing a bright blue, and the stands of Ancien Stadium began to crack, large chunks lifting outwards from the force of it. Ash finally reached the center, and Serena leaned out of the box.

"We're on it, Ash!" He threw a thumbs up towards his wife, and seconds later, he began to feel his feet shifting, the ground beginning to lower with the stadium pieces there. His gaze traveled up, towards the lobby, where he could see a mess of shapes, and Cynthia battling fiercely. Then, there was Diantha, whose Gardevoir was hurling chunks of stone at Alastair and all of the Pokémon on his side. One slammed into Beedrill, sending it flying into the stands, while another hit Camerupt on the head, causing it to slump, not quite out, but clearly exhausted. Alastair avoided one, but Diantha's fury was not to be denied.

"MOONBLAST!"

"VOIR!" Gardevoir chimed out with her trainer, power creeping into her, rushing forth like the Embrace Pokémon was absorbing from a deep, deep well. Her body glowed pink, and then she fired, enough for Ash to get a sight of the giant orb barreling for the stairs. Alastair dove to the side, but the attack hit, consuming Gengar and Beedrill both. Alastair was thrown forward, onto another section of the stands as the stadium began to crumble. From that lone action, more cracks appeared along the stadium floor, even to where he was lowering, causing his own ground to become unstable, but still mobile as it lowered.

Alastair saw that. He pushed himself up, and looked to Camerupt. Ash's eyes widened.

"Explosion on that box, Camerupt. Gengar, our combo," the man called out, calmly, but with precision. Greninja tensed, his eyes flinging up towards the box. Ash didn't know what was about to happen, but his own body tightened, ready to do what was necessary to stop it.

And that was when Ash realized it: Alastair had created a choice. The stands glowed red hot, cracking further, power erupting from Camerupt's body as it dug its feet straight in what remained of the ground it stood on. Gengar split itself into multiple copies, all of its Shadow Balls forming. Explosions started going off around Camerupt, each resulting in a quick chain outward, along the stands. Their destination point was very clearly the commentator's box.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken! Stop it from-"

"NO!" Diantha screamed. The air went silent. Ash turned to look, even as the ground beneath him began to crumble. "You need to conserve everything you can, Ash! Fight her! Show her the future we wish to protect! As for me,  _this_  is how I will protect our future! Psychic!"

"Gardevoir!" Gardevoir shouted out, eyes once more glowing blue.

Serena and Clemont began to scramble, Ash's elevator downward stopping its movement, but still giving Ash enough vision to see what was going on in the stadium up above. He could even see a little bit of down below, and hear mutters and voices. Suddenly, with Gardevoir's glowing eyes, the explosions stopped, contained by the move. She strained, holding them away like a giant ball of flame, just in time for Serena to grab on to Clemont, the latter using his Aipom Arm to pull them to the top of the stadium and away from the blast radius.

Then, Gardevoir bundled them all up into an even more massive orb of fire before splitting it apart in the air above the stadium, causing it to burst with floating cinders and a great cry. "VOIR!"

The explosion ripped out, the ground crumbling even more, and Ash saw Serena and Clemont catching their breaths. The Shadow Balls slammed outward, and with no time to move after her efforts, they impacted with Gardevoir, battering her mercilessly until she was flung back into the walls of the arena. Others sprayed outward, forcing Pikachu and Greninja on the defensive to beat them away, Ash turning his body to avoid being hit. Diantha began to run for her fallen Pokémon, and a snap was heard.

_Slash!_

Ash stared up, eyes wide with horror, and his weren't the only ones. Other trainers had begun to near the interior of the stadium, stopping at the sight. There was a gagging noise, and Ash made to climb back up, not wanting it to be real. Wanting to just imagine it all away, but Diantha's words, Aegislash's glowing blue blade impaling the Champion through the chest and ripping through straight on to Gardevoir for a fatal blow, made him stop.

"This was…all I could d-do…for the future…" she gasped out, her voice strained in a whisper. Along the stands, Alastair was beginning to rise. Diantha coughed, blood spurting from her mouth. Aegislash withdrew from Gardevoir's own lifeless body, and more of the red fluid came from Diantha's chest. She yet remained standing, however. With a shaking body, the Champion's head rose up, smiling her graceful smile to Ash. "A-all…I could ever do…"

"Diantha…no…" Ash whispered out. Her hands reached forward, as if wanting to touch him, to tell him that everything would be okay. Tears pricked at his eyes, and the sounds of battle almost seemed to die, hope fading with Gardevoir and Diantha's broken bodies. She just continued smiling.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't do more…but…" She hacked again, and finally, her body began to fall. Ash wanted to reach forward, grab her, as if doing so would make the difference between life and death. "The future…it's…yours now…Ash…

"So, protect it…"

Then, Diantha's body hit the surface of the stadium floor, her eyes growing cold with a smile still on her face. To the side, Gardevoir's body shined, reverting form as it slumped and rolled to her trainer's side. Ash's body shook. Color seemed to burst from every orifice of the stadium. A faint cry was heard on the wind. People gasped in shock. Another explosion seemed to be starting, but Ash and everyone else remained in shock.

Diantha, Champion of Kalos, had died…and hope had seemed to die with her.

* * *

"Guzma, hurry it up!" Gladion called back, Silvally running alongside him. Seamus remained silent, Merry dashing along at his own side while he gripped to another pokeball of his. "We're almost to the maintenance door on the city and stadium schematics. If Ash is right-"

"Ya don't need to lecture me, Gladion! Your boy Guzma knows what he's gotta do!" Guzma snapped. He was the only one without a Pokémon by his side, though from Seamus' own observation, the man was a force of nature so much, himself, that he hardly needed it outside of the trickier battles. Explosions went off in the distance, and it seemed like their own army was amassing. Nevertheless, the three of them and their Pokémon seemed to almost be out of sight from the enemy, reaching the back of the stadium.

Sure enough, the door was approaching that Gladion had noted. For a brief second, Seamus wondered if, perhaps, the shadow that Clemont had seen earlier had gone through this very same door. It didn't matter, in any case, because now Guzma  _had_  called out his Golisopod, the large bug slashing through the door with a Razor Shell. Seamus tossed him an almost incredulous look.

"We could have just opened it, you know," the blond pointed out to him. Guzma just shrugged as all six of them ran to the door and towards the service elevator that would take them to the bowels of the stadium maintenance area. Gladion cracked his knuckles, clearly not bothering to give a word of remonstration.

"What's it matter, yeah? I mean, whole town's gonna need some major work from Guzma and Family, anyway," the white-haired man grinned out. Seamus rolled his eyes, while Gladion snorted before finding the controls to the service elevator and pressing on it for the nearest maintenance hall. It quickly began to lower, making the sounds of battle on the city surface above fade away. "Besides…this bitch has got somethin' fierce comin' to her for darin' to treat my boys and girls that way. Anyone that makes Plumeria cry has got a fierce Guzma uppercut to her face that needs deliverin'! I'll beat her down and beat her down and-"

"We all want a chance at that…some more than most," Seamus spat out vehemently. The former leader of Team Skull looked to Seamus, but the blond said nothing. Neither did Gladion, as the elevator continued down, quickly descending to the place they needed to go. Seamus' fist clenched, each of them thinking about the woman they were heading off to clash with. "She needs to pay. Thinking the world would be better off without its flaws, hurting other people to do it. She's just like her son; just like someone who wants to run away from what the real problem is, but she's only masking it in her altruism. At least Dalton didn't hide who he was."

"Hmm," Gladion mused out, though it sounded as though he agreed. The elevator shuddered to a halt, and they were suddenly deposited in a long hallway, track lighting placed around the edges, leading to where Deirdre no doubt was. Up ahead seemed to be a swirling mess of colors, though its source was not yet visible. "I'd have to agree with you there. I don't know who this Dalton was, but Deirdre has clearly shown herself unwilling to forgive mistakes or advocate the change we've all worked hard to achieve."

"Don' know if I've changed anythin' much, but I've tried to change myself," Guzma said, looking up towards the light they had left behind them almost wistfully. The hallway suddenly shuddered, some dust and pebbles falling down to the ground.

"That's the point," Seamus said, walking forward, taking the lead for all of them. They moved a little slower, careful in the darkness. "We don't know much about each other, but what we do know is that all of us made mistakes; mistakes we had to truly make up for to a lot of people. With Ash's help, and all of those fighting out there, we were able to take our step towards the new future and begin to change, creating one we'd be proud of, regardless of our previous nasty path. But they want to take that from us.  _She_  wants to take it from us, and for what? Perfection?

"I won't let her! Even if we're no match; even if the Champions or Ash should be standing here with us, I want to do my part and prevent her from doing this. I promised I would never let another Travis do what he did, but now his origin is right in front of me. I look at this as my responsibility as much as anyone else's."

"I hear that," Guzma called, slamming his fist into his open palm. Finally, the path widened, and the glow began to shine brighter, all seven colors refracting around the place. The hallways shook again, and the walls almost seemed to crack a bit while the hallway curved, as though into a large, open area that sat almost directly beneath the stadium. The trio rounded the corner and their Pokémon all began to react, growling loudly at the power emanating ahead. Finally, they stopped.

Seamus looked upwards, his eyes widening at the sight of the meteonite, the true one, suspended above the area. It looked like it was funneling energy, almost, with the ground itself glowing the same rainbow color as the meteonite while it spun. Said object had grown to a considerable size with it, wrapped in a protective cocoon that was caused by something attached to it. It was proof positive that the true meteonite, some chips here and there on its surface as if a shard or two were broken off, had been here the whole time. And if that had been true, then the woman who started it all had to be here, as well, now almost visibly emerging from the concealing shadows. Seamus lowered his eyes, and disgust and fear was suddenly scrawled all over his face.

"Deirdre…" he breathed out. "No way…"

"Yes, I'm such an ugly, wretched sight, aren't I?" the woman spoke, her voice a little croaky, as though from disuse, but holding a strength and conviction that ran completely counter to the sight before him. In front of him was the same auburn-haired woman he'd encountered multiple times, but she was nothing like before.  _Looked_  nothing like before.

She was just sitting there, her legs dangling over the edge of a wheelchair, what looked like IV lines attached to her body. They didn't seem to be all that important, though, as the thing that drew Seamus' attention the most were her legs. With one glance, they appeared atrophied from disuse, and looking limp, as though all feeling had been sucked dry from them, now mere unusable appendages that were emphasized by the combat shorts she was wearing. As Seamus continued to stare, he saw the woman look up, still smiling a cold smile, but now with a burning rage smoldering inside; the same rage that had consumed her son.

"What happened to you…?" Deirdre didn't answer. She just smiled enigmatically, and the meteonite began to pulse. Her head turned up to it, and she turned the wheelchair slightly, placing the missing shard that was revealed in her hand, back on to the meteonite. It flashed with light, as though complete. Seamus rose his voice and tried again. "Deirdre, answer me! What the hell happened to your legs? ! Is that why you're doing all this? !"

"Does it matter, Seamus?" Deirdre finally spoke. The lights from the Alpha seemed to almost go crazy, and Seamus felt a tight pressure around his chest, like he was stepping into another world, akin to the beginning of time, but it was fleeting. Deirdre reached down, gripping at her legs with a sudden hope shining in her eyes. A shadow,  _the_  shadow, flitted around the lights, shooting down to the ground silently. Deirdre began to stand, self-assured. "The last of the blood needed is spilled…well, except for one."

"How are you movin', lady? ! Yer legs look like they're made of jelly!" Guzma roared out, but Deirdre didn't answer. Seamus had to wonder if it was all a ruse, just like everything before. However, that soon proved to not be the case. Deirdre's legs didn't change, but she was still standing, her shadow now rigid and unwavering in the light, matching her every movement more than perfectly.

"My dream of an ideal world is here. I've saved every ounce of strength I have left for this. Why would I not move?" Deirdre spoke, the smile stretching her face to wicked proportions. "My legs don't even feel a thing. Haven't for years. But now, I can stand again and do what needs to be done. That, at least, has never changed. Now, will you three boys give me some entertainment before the end of this world? I haven't had a good fight since I lost use of my legs almost two decades ago. Who wants to go first?"

Yet before anyone could answer, a small sliver of sunlight and rainbow cracked in from above, and beyond that stone, a loud screech could be heard. Deirdre's face grinned, and Seamus knew what the loud cry was: Ho-oh had been summoned, and was hitting the battlefield at long last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Deirdre is revealed at last. And, surprise, she's quite the broken woman, relegated to a wheelchair, having lost the use of her legs. Of course, she's standing now, but there's a specific reason for that, and why she never did it before. I hope it informs you quite a bit of her character, and of Alastair's as well. This tells you pretty much everything about why they want a new, perfect world: part-altruism, part-selfishness.
> 
> That said, there was a lot more to this chapter, what with the panic that set in, followed by the heroic surge forward, and then the final, blistering blow to morale in the face of Diantha's death. Yes. Diantha is dead, along with Gardevoir. After all, a lot of the theme of this story has been the current generation handing it to the next, and she made her choice to do the same. How will this fare for the characters now, however? You'll find out next time.
> 
> Clearly, the battle isn't over yet, but it's clearly reaching its zenith. Hopefully this was a range of emotions for you all. And I hope you'll tell me all this in a Review, and remember, Dare to Be Silly.


	22. An Atonement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say, heading into this chapter, but I'd like to think it'll be good. Please read Chapter 22!

Chapter 22

An Atonement

Seamus breathed in and out before tossing a pokeball upwards, Alakazam appearing. Every hair on his body was sticking up, every nerve on edge. Despite having seen the woman that had been causing them so much trouble in a wheelchair just moments ago, clearly unable to move without it, he knew this was not going to be a normal fight. Merry and Silvally were both hissing, while Golisopod remained a silent stalker as Guzma scowled. Deirdre walked forward, even as the stadium's maintenance halls shuddered further. With every step, this feeling of self-assuredness emanated from her, as though her mottled legs meant nothing.

Other than her slow, elegant and rather well-paced steps, Seamus finally noticed that she wasn't dressed the same as before. As the IV tubes came off of her body, left behind, as though she no longer needed them, the blond noticed that she was no longer dressed in the same concealing clothes. Instead, she appeared to be wearing a rather skintight shirt, highlighting her upper figure as her auburn hair flowed around her, while her lighter colored shorts moved slightly with each movement. It was the one thing that had set her apart from her true self, hiding the horrific visage beneath, the veins in her legs pulsing with every step. Yet the woman moved as though her legs had never atrophied at all.

"Altaria, sweetie, these boys want a battle," she spoke, her tone still cold and burning with rage. Even with this almost childish spark of hope in her eyes, she still held a fierce edge that told Seamus not to take her lightly, no matter what was happening above. From above, in the midst of the lights and shadows of the meteonite, Altaria floated downwards, finally landing peacefully upon the woman's shoulder and nuzzling her. It was proof positive that this Deirdre truly was the real one, even if her actual movement made no sense. "I know, sweetheart, you've had to put up with so many battles without me, but I trust they helped. Alastair's a wonderful partner."

"Altaar," Altaria chirped, and Seamus almost found it disturbing how sweet she was towards her Humming Pokémon. Perhaps it was a length apart, or something else. Either way, Deirdre seemed to notice the three of them staring at her, each bracing for the battle ahead.

"Don't look at me with such scorn, boys," the woman said. Seamus stepped forward a bit, Zoroark spitting out loudly, angrily. "Altaria has sometimes been the only one to give me peace. Helps me to sleep. To dream. Since the day I lost the use of my legs through heinous torture, and Alastair lost his eye in my defense, Altaria has helped the both of us to rest and dream of a future without pain. It was the only thing to drive me on instead of wallowing in my pain."

"But that's exactly what you've done," Gladion stated. Silvally pawed the ground angrily. Altaria wrapped her wings around Deirdre, humming softly as the woman seemed to bask in it, relaxing, calming, before her eyes snapped upwards to look at Gladion. "Just like my mother, you pretend there's no sense of pain or grief in order to justify what you're doing; like it's not inherently selfish."

"Dalton was the same way, but he at least admitted that he was just as bad as the people he wanted to prevent," Seamus remarked. Deirdre slowly turned her head to him, fixating all that hate she held upon the blond. He stood strong, however. "Instead, you're just like your son. Travis wanted power, wanted to be the best, just like me. Only, he never thought for a single second that he was wrong for anything. He always thought the world was out to get him, could never blame the true root of the problem. Could never take responsibility for himself."

"You're overlooking a key difference," Deirdre explained, wagging her finger. Seamus' eyes narrowed; she was using all the same mannerisms as her illusory form, and Seamus had to wonder just how it could have mimicked her so perfectly. "I'm well aware that what I'm doing can be seen as horrible. I'm not asking for forgiveness, though, simply because I don't care. I've seen the very worst of humanity when I lost my legs, had them ripped away from me because of that bastard's machinations. Yet at the same time, I've seen the best from all of you. I can acknowledge all of that, something Michael could not; something I wanted to prove to him."

"Prove how, huh?" Guzma asked, a snarl on his face as he also stepped forward. Deirdre didn't move her eyes from Seamus, but still answered the query.

"You're all here, aren't you?" she asked, raising her arms up, body looking multi-colored in the refracting meteonite. "You all stood together. You all chose to fight. In my mind, I've already proven to him beyond the grave that this world is what's worth keeping…unfortunately, it just means that things have to change, and we need to remove that which will continue to ail it. We'll do that here and now, though it will take some time."

"Yeah, so what?" Guzma yelled. Now, Deirdre slid her eyes away from Seamus for a brief second to stare at the towering man. "So, you've proven we're all better. But what's it matter if ya become a monster in the process, yerself?"

Deirdre blinked, like she couldn't quite comprehend what Guzma was asking of her. Seamus understood it completely, and he walked forward, gripping to his keystone while he approached the woman. She slowly looked back to him, and Altaria took to the air, floating above them silently and watching them all.

"I don't care if you dream," Seamus shouted out, readying his fingers to touch to his keystone, but hesitating in order to deliver what he wanted to say, "but when your dream starts ignoring everyone else and doesn't truly work to make their lives better, then it's not deserving of being called a dream at all! Mega Evolve!"

"Alakaza!" Alakazam called, its entire form glowing, bursting with light and beginning to transform. Right alongside him, Gladion lifted up his Z-Ring, touching to its surface.

"System Change: Fairy," the other blond called. Guzma just scowled, looking ready for a battle as Altaria lowered her altitude, looking like she could spit fire. Deirdre regarded them all with amusement. Silvally's tail fin changed, turning pink and sparkling, even under the rainbow. Golisopod walked forward, and above there was another loud screech. Seamus was unsure of what was happening above, but decided to focus on the here and now. "Tri Attack!"

"Energy Ball, mass fire!" Seamus commanded. Deirdre didn't move, but Altaria did, practically puffing its wings. Silvally opened its mouth and sent a whirling compilation of three colored orbs flying right for Altaria. At the same time, Seamus' bearded Alakazam waved his arms and a whole grouping of pulsing green Energy Balls appeared. He waved his hands again, and then sent them flying forward. The Tri Attack swirled inside of them upon meeting, like a twisting beam. Deirdre cracked a small grin, and Altaria shot upward. The attack slammed into the ground right in front of the woman, but had completely missed the Dragon type.

"Dragon Pulse, sweetheart," Deirdre called. Altaria opened her beak, and with a simple snap, the purple beam fired out, growing with a draconic shape to devour the opponents before it.

"X-Scissor!" Guzma called, but Seamus soon realized he wasn't just calling the command for battle. He was running forward, right for the woman, with a grin upon his face. Out of all of them, he was clearly the one that cared the least for laying into another. Golisopod also charged forward, claws crossed with a purple energy manifesting there. The Dragon Pulse made contact, blasting into and straining against the X-Scissor.

"Shadow Claw!" Seamus yelled out. Merry zipped forward, her claws blossoming with shadows as they grew larger and aimed for Altaria by leaping into the air. Guzma reached Deirdre and punched. The woman bent backwards, easily avoiding the hit, and then snapped her head forward, slamming into his. Merry reached Altaria and slashed upwards, knocking their opponent backwards, spiraling through the air. Seamus looked to the pulsing meteonite, just as Deirdre did the same.

"Is that it, Guzma? Sky Attack." Deirdre's body whipped around, her feet flying incredibly fast, despite their state, and nailing him in the side. As she finished spinning, her fist hit onto his head and sent the man flying into one of the nearby walls. The Dragon Pulse exploded against Golisopod, while Altaria began to glow golden, using the momentum of its attack to right itself. It clipped forward, slamming into Merry. She howled out. Altaria was no longer holding back from all of its previous fights. "I want you boys to give me entertainment! Not be dull! Or do I have to wait for Ash to come here?"

"You won't touch him! Multi-Attack!" Gladion roared. The auburn-haired woman smirked as Silvally charged forward with its pink, dusting glow. Altaria yet aimed forward and collided with Silvally, pink and gold particles blasting away, lost in the rainbow hue. Seamus looked to Gladion, and both of the trainers nodded.

"Shock Wave!" Seamus called, and the second his command was given, both he and Gladion ran for Deirdre. Guzma was shaking his head, recovering from the earlier hit. Alakazam's body pulsed blue and then fired the electricity outwards in columns, aiming for Altaria. Seamus and Gladion reached Deirdre together while the Shock Wave impacted, voltage tingling all over Altaria's wings. They kicked out, but Deirdre punched forward, knocking their legs away before spinning and slamming them both in their stomachs. They stayed still for a moment, and then flew back. Seamus bounced along the ground, coughing.

"Gwrror!" Merry growled out in worry, but Seamus pushed up.

"I'm fine, Merry! Dark Pulse!" Seamus yelled, pushing himself to his feet. She nodded, grinning at the fact he was okay while she called the inky nexus of energy to her claws, swirling around, before firing right for Altaria. Seamus ran forward, Gladion with him, and Guzma soon joined them to converge upon Deirdre.

"Hyper Beam. Now, this is interesting," Deirdre spoke, her eyes flashing. Altaria once more opened her beak, and sent the dark purple beam firing right at Merry's incoming Dark Pulse. The two beams collided, exploding in the air, but Altaria proved to be the far stronger almost instantly. The Hyper Beam pushed through and burst through Merry, leaving a crater in the ground where she stood, heaving. Seamus looked to Alakazam, who flashed forward, fist glowing a swirling green. "Three at once! This is more entertaining!"

"Brick Break!" Guzma shouted, and he punched forward. They all were, while Deirdre just grinned. Her hands moved swiftly, blocking Guzma's punch before taking both Seamus and Gladion's punches to tie them up together. Her own palms shot outward, impacting with their chests and pushing them backwards with gags. Her legs swung around now, right as Alakazam and Golisopod met Altaria, both swinging their fists into its body, recovering from the Hyper Beam. Seamus was kicked backwards, alongside Guzma. The older man looked towards the pulsing meteonite, and Seamus listened to the sounds of chaos and explosions above.

"Go, Silvally! Iron Head and Crush Claw!" Gladion roared as he punched for the woman. She grabbed hold of his arm and tossed him off to the side like a rag doll. He landed against a wall, grunting with pain. Silvally thundered forward, zipping behind Altaria before leaping up in the air while the Humming Pokémon was distracted with the attacks from below.

"Srrrrrr!" Silvally cried out, its head gleaming silver while its claw was blood red. It struck upon Altaria's back, digging into it. However, Altaria's wings snapped back, the cotton there stopping the worst of the blow, before it turned its head and stared at the offending Pokémon with scorn. Seamus saw Merry recovering, and knew that this was finally their chance. She looked to him, claws twitching, and he nodded as he pushed himself up while helping Guzma.

"Draco Meteor," Deirdre said, still confident. She stepped back, smirking at all three of them while they pushed. Only for a moment did she falter, looking towards the meteonite and the ceiling above their heads. Seamus quirked an eyebrow, the realization of truth settling into him as he did so. She was waiting. This was just a game to her. Until something happened or someone arrived, she was just playing with them…but it also meant she had her one weakness. Altaria rose upwards, an orange glow burgeoning in its chest before firing outward, the meteors scattering about once its zenith had been reached. Yet, the one area it didn't touch was the meteonite.

"Now, Merry! Guzma, get the meteonite!"

"Grrah!" Merry roared out gutturally, shooting upwards, practically vanishing into the air to reach Altaria. Her claw extended, the shadowy appendage sharpening before slashing into Altaria's underside. The Humming Pokémon cried out in pain while Guzma flipped on to his feet and ran. The meteors were still falling, colliding with Alakazam, Silvally and Golisopod. Guzma jumped to the side, but continued aiming for the object they wanted to release.

"Sky Attack!" Deirdre called, a slight snarl coming to her lips. Altaria glowed golden, the flames heating the air, brimming with deadly intent as it slashed forward, right across Merry's midsection. She cried out, falling down to the ground in pain. Deirdre dashed for Guzma, moving much faster than the man as Seamus and Gladion stood, giving chase.

"Razor Shell!" Guzma yelled back. His command cost him the moment needed to reach the meteonite. Deirdre closed the gap and kicked forward, nailing him in the back. He fell forward, faceplanting into the ground. Gladion and Seamus both reached the woman, but she whipped the same leg around and up, hitting them both on the head, before bringing her fists down onto both and sending them crashing to the ground. Altaria was still shooting forward as Golisopod slashed down with its watery blade. The attack met with the Sky Attack, but it was clear that Altaria was having the advantage, pushing the Hard Scale Pokémon back. The hard water cracked, and Altaria slammed into Golisopod, flinging it back.

"M-Multi-Attack!" Gladion roared upwards, pulling his head back. Deirdre brought her legs down, and Seamus rolled out of the way, barely avoiding it. Silvally charged forward, this time from behind Altaria, and rammed into their opponent. The Humming Pokémon was pushed forward, but recovered in seconds. "Damn it…that thing is strong…"

"Oh, you have no idea," Deirdre chuckled out. She kicked again, forcing Seamus to roll backwards and into a standing position to avoid the attack. "You're not giving all that much of a challenge, boys. This is why I expected Ash here well before you. Now that man is a trainer to face. His convictions burn so much brighter than your own, but that's no surprise. He's not like any of you; doesn't have your mistakes. Hyper Beam."

"Altaaaaaaaariiiiiiiii!" Altaria shouted, rising into the air as the dark beam coalesced at its beak. Seamus looked to Alakazam, even his Mega Evolved Pokémon already looking beyond exhausted. There wouldn't be much left, but Seamus aimed for it.

"Energy Ball!" he shouted, running yet again at Deirdre. She turned to him, and before he could bring a fist slamming down on her, she'd punched his side with one fist, before slamming his stomach with the other. Alakazam acted, creating the large, green and pulsing orb of power. Altaria fired and Alakazam did the same. The two projectiles clashed while Seamus gagged, feeling bile rise in his throat. Deirdre picked him up and sent him crashing against the wall, his body slumping with pain. Each blow had felt like a heavy sledgehammer. "Maybe…maybe we're not as good as Ash…"

"Hm?" Deirdre spoke. The Hyper Beam smashed through the Energy Ball, breaking it apart and consuming Alakazam, slamming him right into the ground and leaving him passed out, his form already fading. Altaria was truly no longer fooling around.

"But…we know the meteonite is part of your plan…so we can…still use every bit of strength we have to stop you by destroying that," Seamus choked out. He could feel bones broken, his head hurting from the pain now emanating through his body. "I promised…promised I'd never let another Travis exist, and if that means stopping you, I'll do everything I can to do it! Night Daze!"

"Dragon Pulse," Deirdre spoke, and she kicked behind her, this time nailing Gladion, who fell back, gasping while he hit the ground. She was a woman unmatched, even if it made no sense as to how. Altaria sent out her draconic beam, while the sick, dark, pulsing waves emanated around Merry. They flew outwards as the ethereal dragon arched through the air and slammed down upon her, causing her to cry out in pain. That small distraction provided enough for Gladion and Guzma to stand, their Z-Rings shining.

"System Change: Bug…" Gladion heaved out, though it seemed to be an effort for him to do so. He and Guzma crossed their arms, making movements that Seamus recognized as those belonging to a Bug type Z-Move. Together, as the power surrounded their Pokémon, they cried out, "Savage Spin Out!"

"Gohhhh!" Golisopod cried out, roaring back into action. From both Silvally and the Hard Scale Pokémon, string shot out, wrapping around Altaria's figure, putting it all on the line for that single move. It surrounded the creature as a cocoon, before Golisopod whipped it around, slamming it to the ground, and Silvally charged for it. Deirdre sighed.

"You're right, Seamus, my whole plan revolves around the Alpha and the Omega," Deirdre spoke. "But if you think the meteonite will break because I hit it, you're sorely wrong. It will require a force or absorption of energy far greater than  _you_  could muster on your own to do that, especially with Louise's protection. We've taken many steps. I'm just not a fool to test the limits of any one thing until the final stage is ready.

"And that means, I've indulged your fancies and flights of fantasy, searching for your redemption, for long enough. Altaria, Draco Meteor." Seamus' eyes widened, trying to process just what Deirdre had said to him. Was it all hopeless? Or was there still a sliver? The orange glow grew within the cocoon, and then suddenly broke outward, as if in a great explosion that ripped the area. The meteors fell all over the place, striking Silvally and Golisopod, along with Zoroark, knocking her over to the wall. Chunks of the wall fell away and the ceiling weakened as dust covered the hall. Seamus' eyes widened and one of the meteors slammed into him, blowing him back. Pain erupted all over his body, and he found himself unable to move.

"You still…won't…win…" Seamus grunted out, blearily watching as Guzma and Gladion were likewise impacted by the high-powered assault. They could no longer get up, but their bodies were still moving. Deirdre, however, had turned to face him. "Ash…makes the impossible possible. Winning a League, saving the world, understanding his opponent more than anyone…you'll…never beat him…He'll find a way to stop you, and break…that damn thing…"

"Oh, I know he could. I know he  _will_. I'm looking forward to all his rage and fury," Deirdre spoke, the unsettlingly familiar, wild and crazy smirk, one full of glee, stretching her face manically. Seamus shivered, but was unable to move. He could feel his body wanting to give out, and he glanced over to Merry, slowly stirring, inching forward, like she wanted to land one last blow upon Altaria. She stopped, however, and looked to him, eyes saddening. "That way, we can be even when we clash. I've been looking forward to meeting him most of all; he who embodies everything Michael detested because it proved him wrong. So, how do you think he'll react at the sight of your dead body, Seamus?"

"Hey, cut it out, yo!" Guzma grunted out, but Deirdre didn't stop. The meteonite pulsed again, and Deirdre began to laugh, as though everything had gone according to plan at long last. The auburn-haired woman brought her fist back, and Seamus could see it shining as the shadows at her feet danced with the light. Altaria appeared behind her, beak glowing with the power of a forming Hyper Beam. Then both struck, and Seamus could only wait, feeling his body squeeze as the blow that would end his life came soaring right at him.

_I'm sorry…_ he thought, a tear slipping out as he considered all those he loved.  _Beth…Chris…Rocky…I'm sorry…everyone…forgive me. It's over._

Deirdre and Altaria's attacks struck home, and the ceiling above them exploded with rubble.

* * *

Serena couldn't believe it. Rather, she didn't want to believe it. Her knees resting against the heated stone of the stadium's top, breathing heavily, the honey blonde could only stare with widened eyes at the form below. Diantha had fallen, her body hitting the stadium with a finality. Serena's breath caught in her throat. Clemont was shaking next to her, his head moving back and forth.

"No…" he whispered, though it seemed to be absorbed on the wind. The army began to grow quiet, and Serena watched as Cynthia stepped into the stadium, looking ragged with her Garchomp breathing heavily, as well. There was a slew of fallen Durant behind them. Ash was climbing out, gripping to the edge of the lowering arena platform, hoping to get to the fallen Champion.

"Diantha! Diantha!" he shouted, but Serena felt that she was unable to move, still transfixed on the sight. A hand flew to her mouth; if it hadn't been for the action that had cost the Champion her life, Serena knew that both herself and Clemont would be dead. She resisted the urge to vomit, placing her other hand at her stomach, as if that would hold it down, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't real. Cynthia strode in, grabbing to Ash, their voices reverberating around the stadium in the silence.

"No, Ash! This was her choice," the blonde spoke, but Serena could tell that even she was barely holding it together. Clemont began to shakily stand, and Serena saw the tears there, threatening to spill over. The rainbow in the sky shined brighter, the ground around them exploding with light and color in so many different ways. "This was her choice…"

"But…" Ash protested, but he couldn't seem to find the words to speak. His fist had clenched, shaking rapidly. He broke free of Cynthia's hold, glaring upwards, and Serena followed his gaze to Alastair, still standing atop the stands with a rather cold expression. There was blood trickling down one side of his face, quickly being covered up by the illusion of flesh. Otherwise, he made no movement, as if waiting for something.

To that, Serena chose to turn her gaze, glancing around to the front of the stadium. Much of it seemed to be broken, and Squishy was still providing a bridge for them to cross. Near the front of the line were many familiar battlers, beating back the assault Pokémon and otherwise threatening Totems. The only ones that Serena didn't see there were Team Rocket and Steven. The latter's lack of presence was quickly explained, as the man was riding headlong atop Metagross to blaze through the lobby, barreling aside Pokémon with a Meteor Mash before arriving in the stadium. The Hoenn Champion leapt off with a snarl, and immediately pointed for Alastair.

"Flash Cannon!" Steven roared out. Metagross fired, the silvery beam striking out. Alastair dove to the side, and his Gengar appeared alongside him. The second in command of IDEAL reached for his Pokémon, grabbing hold and sinking into the shadows. The Flash Cannon struck, blowing apart even more of the stands, or what remained of them. The shadow containing Alastair and Gengar shot off, and Serena tracked it, following it closely as it moved towards the commentator's box.

A cry pierced the air, off in the distance, but loud enough to keenly penetrate the space around them. It wasn't a familiar one to Serena, but from the way that Ash seemed to react down below, she had to figure that he knew it. The ground continued to pulse more, the color exuding off of it. Another explosion began to go off, though this one wasn't from Camerupt, but from a still recovering Beedrill's strike. Rubble exploded outward, but many in the approaching crowd still remained unmoving, staring at Diantha's fallen form. Serena reached up and slapped her cheeks rapidly.

"Pull it together! Pull it together!" she shouted to herself, lost in the sounds of war. Steven was whipping around, but Cynthia was reaching for him. Ash walked to Diantha's body and stared down at her, Pikachu touching to his cheek in comfort. The two of them had certainly been close over the years, so Serena had to wonder how her husband was taking it.

"No!" shouted a voice that sounded oddly like Trevor's. It was high-pitched, and oddly distorted, but definitely him. His one gasp upon the sight of what had happened with Diantha sent a whole cavalcade of them around the crowd.

"Diantha's dead…that's…that's not possible…"

"A Champion is dead!" screeched another voice. Some voices of reason tried to rise up within the crowd, like Kahili's, Alain's, Malva's and her father's, but they were drowned by the major wave of negativity that was washing over them. For an army that had barely put itself together with Seamus and Ash's words earlier, they were now on the verge of breaking with Diantha's death. It was quickly filtering through the entire army, too.

"What can we do? How can we win now? !"

"We're all gonna die!" screamed another, younger voice, reminding Serena of those there that had never experienced a battle of this level. They had never experienced the same pain and despair each of them had once been afflicted with. Some of them had only basked in the peace that their own fighting had provided…and it meant they were about to collapse.

_Skreeeeeee!_  The loud screech filled the air, and Serena whipped around, looking out to the distance. The sun was beginning to set, casting an entire golden glow on the horizon now. The rainbow in the sky remained, and Serena could instantly guess just what was going on now. Why Ash was reacting, and what it could portend for their entire force, hanging on to the edge, not even scrabbling for that last thread of hope to hold on to.

"Ho-oh…" Clemont breathed. He was shaking his head while Serena squinted into that horizon, finding that she could, indeed, see the golden bird in the far distance, approaching swiftly. Although, it wasn't yet at the edge of the distance. It was merely so large that the form of the phoenix was unmistakable. "This isn't good. They're barely hanging on as it is."

"I know," Serena responded, and she snapped her gaze back, only to do a double take. More shouts were echoing upwards, but they weren't the same ones of fear and panic that had settled in everywhere regarding Diantha's death. Instead, they were shouts of worry, as people seemed to begin collapsing.

"Max! Max, what's wrong?" Bonnie was shouting, and looking outwards, Serena could see that Max had fallen to his knees. Bonnie was at his side, shaking him, while Rotom's voice seemed unable to diagnose the boy's condition. A little further along, Brock and May had done the same, eyes wide as their bodies strained, almost heaving. The reaction seemed odd, and Serena slowly turned to see Ash dropping to his own knees, gripping to his chest with what looked like an even more violent reaction.

"Hah! Hah!" he was screaming out, like a bright burgeoning fire was practically bursting inside his chest. Cynthia and Steven were looking at him in alarm, while Greninja, too, seemed to be clutching at himself, trainer and Pokémon still synchronized. Ash's voice continued coming in gasps, but as Serena stepped closer to the edge, she could hear what her husband was saying. "It's coming…Ho-oh…it's coming…"

"How do you…?" Cynthia asked, but it wasn't Ash that was answering. Instead, what answered was the voice of Alastair, far too close for any sort of comfort.

"Because he and Ho-oh share a connection," the man said. Serena pushed out, hitting Clemont back. Her best friend fell back, off the edge of the stadium, while she and Braixen flipped backwards, barely avoiding the purple-glowing fist that was aiming right for them both. Alastair emerged from the shadows within the stone. Serena flicked her eyes over, noticing that Clemont was pulling himself up slowly with his Aipom Arm, the invention straining.

"What are you talking about?" Serena snapped out. Alastair walked forward, and Serena watched him, Braixen pointing her wand out threateningly. His face seemed to have taken some damage, and the robotic eye from earlier was bouncing uncomfortably. Serena swallowed, waiting for the answer; she knew that Ash had seen Ho-oh multiple times, of course, but a connection was something she wasn't aware of. Alastair provided the answer to that.

"The Legendary Pokémon of this world are so tied in with nature, and in some cases, they are tied in with humans," the man said, still walking forward. His Gengar now fully materialized, mouth invisible owing to no grin whatsoever. Serena could feel the power it was holding, and Braixen gripped tighter, her guard remaining up. "That girl and Zygarde, your friend Lillie and Solgaleo are but two examples. Knowing that Ho-oh's power was needed for our own plan, we waited and waited until the time was right that any disturbance to the world's flow of life would cause Ho-oh, and Ho-oh alone, to act."

"So, we were right!" Clemont yelled out, finally getting his knees back on to the plinth of stone they were standing upon. "You  _were_  trying to draw Ho-oh out!"

"Naturally," came Alastair's all too blunt reply. "Ho-oh holds the power of revival. Not life, mind you. That was Xerneas' purview, which, thankfully, that Pokémon was put out of commission long ago, as you well know. We had no intention of reviving it."

"What does any of that have to do with Ash? !" Serena demanded angrily. Down below, her husband was still clutching to his chest, breathing out loudly. Another screech sounded out on the air, the Rainbow Pokémon drawing ever closer to the site of battle. "How are they connected, when Ash has never really come in contact with Ho-oh?"

"Ho-oh is, perhaps, the most elusive of all the legendaries connected with the world. It has been so since the tower first burned down so long ago, maybe even before. Of course, Lugia monitors the currents and the tides of fate, yet its counterpart, Ho-oh, seems to do nothing except fly around, glimpsed very rarely by a trainer of great potential and power; one of a great, pure heart," Alastair spoke. Clemont was standing now, having called out Luxray yet again. "The simple reason: because Ho-oh is tied to the life, death and rebirth of this world. In each era, it forges a connection via sight, so its own legacy is passed down again and again and again. Since the time of the Alpha and the Omega striking this planet, beginning to drain it and bring it to an incontrovertible end, that has been its role. Should Arceus will it, Ho-oh could rebirth the world. That is where it is tied to the meteonite, a source of energy, brilliant like the sun that began the cycles of this world and the tipping points. I suppose, in some way, you could view their impacts as the first tipping point."

"The  _first_  tipping point?" Serena asked. The air began to grow warmer, an odd feeling in the now setting sun as Ho-oh drew closer to the city. However, she didn't let it bother her, choosing instead to wheedle out the information that Alastair so clearly wanted to give. Why, she couldn't know, but the man had chosen to engage the both of them with talk first for a clear reason. "What are you trying to say?"

"Isn't it obvious? Certainly, Clemont has figured it out," Alastair noted, turning what was clearly his good eye towards the inventor. Clemont's face slipped momentarily into an expression of pensiveness. He reached up, tapping his chin while Luxray hunkered down, growling at Gengar. Then, Clemont's eyes widened.

"No…The Alpha and the Omega were the start of them…because they ripped the connection to the dimensions wide open," Clemont stated. It was all too familiar to Serena, though nothing she'd thought about in years; all of that was under Gary and Burnet's studies. Clemont, however, had no doubt kept up with the research, aiding in the creation of the inventions to discover these things, and had been able to figure it out far too well. "So, that's what caused it: the impact of the Alpha and the Omega driving straight in with the fate of the world. Reality may have unfurled later with the tipping points, causing greater instability, but that was the origin. That's why Michael believed that every tipping point we passed was another world's death."

"Whether that hypothesis was true or not is irrelevant," Alastair concurred, inclining his head. "The point is that, yes, the meteonite and the meteor here began to be closely intertwined with the other dimensions and this world's lifeblood itself. And the more blood that is shed, the more a reset is called for. The more this world inches closer to its own doom. Violence begets sickness. That sickness begets Ho-oh itself, looking to revive the world to what it once was. A reset of mythical proportions."

"You still haven't answered how Ash fits into this," Serena told him. To that, Alastair's head moved upward, a slight smirk inching across his lips as he did so. Gengar once more sank underground as another screech pierced the air. Down below, the Champions were attempting to rally themselves, though the once more surging Pokémon were making that impossible, merely causing further panic. This was especially so with the sight of Ash on his knees, still reacting to the presence of Ho-oh there. It only took a blink, but Gengar resurfaced, Aegislash with it, as the sword and shield of the Pokémon once more slid into Alastair's hands.

"Because of anyone, Ash has seen Ho-oh the most. Out of any other person out there, that connection is indelibly seared into him because of their meetings.  _He_ is Ho-oh's chosen one, for lack of a better term. It's why Ash is reacting, now that Ho-oh has come to fulfill its purpose for the world: to revive it, just the same way your sister did for Zygarde nearly a decade ago." Alastair slashed outwards, rippling at the air around them. "Now, we just need to make it our own. We can't have the world go through any old revival. We need to control it, and use  _all_  of Ho-oh's power in a way no one before us would ever think of. For that, we need Ho-oh, ourselves. And that's where you all come in: I'm afraid we'll need your husband's blood."

"Not a chance. Flamethrower!" Serena shouted, plunging her hand forward swiftly. Braixen snapped her wand out, firing out a gushing flame. Alastair held his shield up, blocking the flames from hitting him, though he didn't quite seem to account for Clemont attacking from behind.

"Wild Charge!" Luxray's body sparked, and he charged down the length of the stadium they were on. Alastair didn't turn, but Gengar began to float in the air, moving around before clasping its hands. Then it fired out a pulsing ring that shuddered through Luxray. He wobbled, but remained standing, as Alastair slashed outward. Serena bent back.

"Fire Blast, from your mouth!" she shouted. Braixen struck, opening her mouth wide and letting loose the star of flame. Alastair still held his shield up, blocking the flames while Serena's eyes narrowed. The man looked out to the sky, no doubt to the phoenix that was swiftly approaching the site of the meteonite. At the very least, its presence there finally made sense, but now they had to stop IDEAL before they or Ho-oh, itself, could make use of its powers; or Ash, for whatever their nefarious purposes were. Now, she just had to make sure that Alastair didn't get either of  _them_  just to draw Ash into conflict. That meant there was only one way out. "Ash! Get up!"

Her voice rang across the stadium clearly, but it didn't stop the still mass sense of panic below. People were running over each other, and a Totem Haxorus charged through the crowd with a Giga Impact, stopped only by a combination of Kukui's Gallade and her own father's Hydreigon. Y was looking up at her as she called out, and she watched her father's eyes flick over to the commentator's box.

There was only one way to calm down the chaotic populace.

"Clemont, hold him right here!" Serena shouted. Clemont craned his head, looking at her while Luxray growled, pawing at the ground. Gengar continued watching Luxray, not moving. Braixen broke her attack off and Serena ran forward. Alastair turned to intercept her, but she swept her leg out as she ran, slamming him on the knee. Braixen flipped over that. "We can't let them get control of Ho-oh, but right now we're falling apart! I  _won't_  let that happen!"

"I'm on it, then! Ice Fang!" Clemont shouted. Luxray bounded forth, his fangs chilly as he aimed for Gengar, who skidded back. That momentary strike was the exact distraction that Serena needed, blazing past Clemont for the edge of the stone ring they were on. Luxray whipped around, now, claws glowing purple with a Night Slash that was colliding with a Poison Jab. Alastair wasn't giving Clemont a moment to blink, and Serena pushed on. She stared out over the army. More people were falling, the Champions scrambling to pick up the slack. May, Brock and Max seemed to have almost passed out, others around them wearing looks of concern, while Ash remained, still clutching to his chest, beginning to look up to the sky. Serena shook her head; now was the time to face forward, not back. She jumped off, back into the stands with Braixen at her side. They ran along the broken rows of seats, right for the nearly bombed out commentator's box. To that, she scoffed a little, reminded of the night she did this exact same thing, though for very different reasons, or at least under different circumstances.

An explosion happened near the edge of the stadium, sending Cynthia and Steven flying back into the lobby. Camerupt seemed to slowly be recovering, to Serena's surprise, but she wasn't letting herself be stopped, especially with Clemont giving his all against Alastair. She knew she'd need to return to him soon. Her feet kicked aside stones, and she finally emerged in the commentator's box, finding it to be relatively untouched. Instantly, she scrambled for the intercom system there, remembering how to work it from before, though this time she didn't need to worry about the electricity factor, thanks to Clemont's redundancies. She just flicked the switch, turning the whole entire system on.

"Ash, get up!" she screamed again, and this time, her voice carried across the whole entire stadium. Everyone seemed to hear her, and she could see them all looking up, even from their prone positions. Battle continued on, but for those that could, they were fixated upon her. Ash's head raised, turning towards her. "I know what you're going through! I know you're feeling pain, but that's no reason to stop moving forward!

"We've lost Diantha, but how many other people have we lost along the way? ! Did any single one of them cause us to give up? No! They inspired us to move forward. Every single enemy that we faced is no longer haunting us because we just did that. Stand up, hold your head high, and if it falls, you hold it even higher!"

"Serena…" Ash breathed out below, but even with the sounds of battle, she could yet hear him. She stared right at her husband, eyes insistent towards him. Pikachu seemed to hear her, too, because he whipped his tail around, slapping his trainer right in the face. Ash blinked and looked at his perennial partner before smiling. Then his hands moved away from his chest, pushing at the ground to stand. There must have still been the reaction inside of him, that pure fire burning, but he used it to pick himself up and push all the harder. "I hear you. No giving up. Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Pi!" Pikachu agreed, and he sped away from Ash, right for the center of the stadium, and the cracked arena floor. Ash looked up one more time and threw his fist into the air. "Chu pika!"

"Thanks for that! We're going to stop Deirdre, so you hold down the fort here!" Ash proclaimed. With every effort he could make, Ash ran forward, joining with Pikachu and Greninja as Pikachu's tail slammed down upon the ground, making the rubble cave in. Seeing him move forward, the lone person left in the stadium proper, seemed to embolden the others all around them, but Serena wasn't done. Ash jumped down with his fellow Pokémon.

"Everyone else, you don't give up either!" Serena proclaimed, looking out over the crowd. She could see everyone still struggling, some on the verge of tucking their legs in and rocking back and forth. "Nine years ago…nine years ago we stood right here that night. We bickered and we fought and we were on the verge of giving up. Instead, we put everything else aside and focused on what mattered. We pushed on, and moved forward! And no matter what happens next…"

"We won't give up until the very end!" Her call was not alone, plunging her fist into the air. Around the entire crowd, she saw numerous people raise their hands to the sky, reminding themselves and each other of the victory they all promised to share those years ago, and of the one thing that was pushing them forward. From Brock and May, who were recovering, to Dawn and Lillie, and even to those other, less known faces in the crowd such as Bruce and Trent, battling away a Totem Tyranitar that was charging at them, or Conway and Kenneth. That conviction was imbued no more than in Bethany and Christopher, resolutely standing with their fists in the air, Ash's Pokémon battling around them, carrying Rocky's will for the future he wanted.

It was everyone standing together, and no matter what would be thrown their way, Serena now knew for absolute certain that they would all have the strength to walk it. All that was left was putting an end to IDEAL's ambitions once and for all, finally ending Michael's own schemes upon the world and taking their first step into a bright new future, the one that those such as Diantha, Lionel and Rocky, and many others, had given their lives to protect. Ash would defeat Deirdre, and she knew her goal was to join with Clemont and put a stop to Alastair. Knowing that, she abandoned the broadcasting equipment, and dashed out of the commentator's box.

There was a definite uptick in the energy down below. And while the attacking Pokémon, no doubt controlled by Alastair's previously well-hidden Gengar, were still preventing them from stepping another foot into the stadium, they still fought on, beating away their foes. An explosion of electricity burst out from the top of the stadium, and Serena looked that way to see Clemont avoiding a slash from Alastair, though with minimal success, falling onto his back. Flicking her gaze to their army, Serena noted Alpha Squad, the Champions and a few others like Nanu and Kahili having made it into the lobby. Beyond them, even the wounded like Astrid and Aidan had taken a strong position outside the building, itself. Finally, though, she was in a close enough range to strike her own opponent.

"Hidden Power!" Serena yelled, but didn't stop running. Braixen didn't either, brandishing her wand outwards and sending silvery orbs rushing out for Gengar and Alastair. The Shadow Pokémon didn't avoid it, but Alastair did, stepping back as she reached the edge of the stadium walls. Clemont acted without hesitation, pressing a button and sending his Aipom Arm downwards to grab hold of her and pull her up to their level, with Braixen jumping high enough to do so, herself. The second Serena was up, she faced forward to Alastair. "It's over!"

"Oh?" the man asked, straightening and swiping Aegislash out. Gengar looked back, blinking a little, but seemed to shrug. Then its shadows split, revealing a wide grin, as though Alastair was silently telling him there was no more reason to hold back. Their location was painted in gold and red, and now Serena could fully see the form of Ho-oh arriving, having reached the city. It was a beautiful sight, with feathers of golden rainbows, its plumage perfectly in place as it glided forward, the crest atop its head ruffling only slightly in the breeze as it flew. Alastair looked to it, and grinned. "Hm, perhaps you're right. But not for me."

"Believe that all you want," Serena spoke, pointing forward, while Braixen held her own wand aloft in the same direction. Clemont, too, stood, and Luxray walked forward, baring his fangs, all four ready to face off. "Ash is with Deirdre, and he'll make sure she won't walk out of there until your plan is stopped. Your hope of crushing all of us is done. We learned long ago what it meant to not stop. Made too many promises to people who cried. We'll keep fighting onward."

"Yes, I'm well aware, and that won't be the hardest of things to do," Alastair spoke, and a grin began to split his face. He raised his arm up to his keystone, while Serena's eyes narrowed. Kahili had already fought his Mega Aerodactyl, and it didn't seem to be anywhere nearby, so his action seemed almost illogical. "Why do you think we pushed you to this point? Other than summoning Ho-oh by shedding all the blood we could spare, bringing you all here proved that with the best of the best, this world can truly be fixed when we reach perfection. I was never going to hurt you, merely maim, but now that your husband is with Deirdre, I have no more need to threaten you. Instead, I believe I'll move to the next phase of the plan."

"Next phase?" Clemont questioned. Alastair tapped his keystone, and it blossomed with light. Serena looked down to Gengar, the Pokémon's shadows swirling, before a brightly shining Gengarite emerged from its body, and the Shadow Pokémon began to transform.

"Don't you know: a keystone can be used on more than one Pokémon. Gengar, Mega Evolve!" Alastair shouted. Gengar's body now burst with light, growing far larger, putting it onto four legs as a wicked grin stretched its face. Serena pointed her hand forward, calling for a Flamethrower before Gengar could transform. "Hypnosis."

"Geng!" Gengar barked, its eyes flashing a deep red, before shining a deep yellow. The Flamethrower bellowed forward, but the creature dove under the surface of the stadium, into the shadows as the flames arched over and slammed harmlessly into the stone. Then Serena felt her head going soft. Her eyes struggled to stay open, her feet slipping, and the same happened with Braixen and Luxray.

"Now, Gengar, this is everything we've prepared for. Time for us to come out of the shadows, so we and all our friends can be more than that in perfection!" Alastair shouted, brandishing his sword out, pointing right at Ho-oh. Serena reached a fist out and punched against her thigh, giving her a slight jolt in order to keep herself awake. Ho-oh was utterly close, screeching loudly with flames burgeoning on its feathers, and Gengar faced it with its own leering grin. "Hypnosis!"

"Gengar Gengar geng!" Gengar cried, like power was storing up in its body. For a moment, below, the opposing army seemed to halt in its movements, confusing those that were fighting around the area. Serena began to regain her consciousness, just barely, but only enough to see Gengar fire out a golden soundwave, almost like a lasso, right for the unsuspecting Ho-oh that had been drawn to the meteonite.

"Ho-oh, look out!" Serena shouted, and the Rainbow Pokémon began to turn its head. Yet that proved itself folly. Its beak faced the incoming ring that flashed onto its body, and its eyes drooped, going blank. The bird's body descended, looking tired, and Alastair walked forward, drawing out his eye and opening its socket to pull out a small device, while he attached a wireless connector to his arm. Then he placed the first object on Ho-oh, watching it go limp before it could awaken.

"I'll have to thank Louise for being so prepared," Alastair spoke. Clemont had recovered now, along with all of their Pokémon, but the damage had been done, especially when Mega Gengar turned to them. The inventor next to Serena was gazing at the device on Alastair's arm and the one surrounding Ho-oh, venom snarling on his face. "Now, this may cost you, friend, but it will be worth it. I'll need a Sacred Fire from you!"

"Fire Blast!"

"Wild Charge!" Both of the orders snapped out, and Braixen sent her flaming star forward while Luxray charged along the stone. Alastair briefly let go of Aegislash, the Royal Sword Pokémon snapping into its Shield Forme and blocking both attacks entirely. Alastair reached up, petting Ho-oh softly as its body seemed to alight with flames that it had no control over. One raced for them, while another circled around the stadium, the conflagration soon immolating the entire coliseum they were standing upon. "Serena, come close to me!"

"Yes!" Serena called, placing her back against Clemont as he whipped out an invention. The flames reached them and slammed into the absorber he was now holding, continuing to batter it mercilessly. Through the horrific flames, Serena saw that blaze consume Beedrill, Camerupt, and what looked like the downed form of Sableye. Gengar vanished into the shadows, flitting along the broken stands and towards what seemed to be the waiting rooms. The army was obscured by the flames and shadows, even Team Rocket's balloon seeming to be lost in the haze for that moment, unable to be spotted. In the end, it was only a moment for Gengar to escape, but a moment in which Alastair reached up to pluck a feather from Ho-oh, the rainbow sheen colored brilliantly.

"My apologies for binding you. You're far too peaceful a Pokémon, but it's how we knew this would work," Alastair spoke, as Gengar's shadow soon returned to the center of the stadium, where the flames licked and then exploded in a great plume around whatever the Shadow Pokémon had deposited there. It soon returned to Alastair's side. "Unfortunately, while under Gengar's control, your power will be focused, and the feather will not wilt. We'll be able to use it at minimal cost to you…we just need the blood of your 'chosen one' to draw it all out. It will not take too long, I promise."

Ho-oh said nothing, nothing but a small chirp that showed how impossible it was for the creature to move. However, down on the stadium floor, there were three others moving, and Serena knew just who they were as their Pokémon returned to their side. The flames there parted as the three figures, seeming like shadows, walked forward towards the lobby. Only just before they reached there did they look up to their comrade, still battling it out, his own body seeming to regain the energy it had lost, even if his wounds may have remained.

IDEAL had risen once more to keep fighting; bruised and battered, but never broken.

"Now, Gengar, keep this under control while I get to Deird-"

"Psyshock!" Serena shouted. Braixen swiped her claws in an instant, sending the purple streaks out, as the flames from Ho-oh faded. The streaks flew through the air and slammed into the ground near Alastair, causing it to smoke. He looked up with a scowl, and touched upon his control device. Ho-oh's wings snapped outwards, and the large bird took to the sky. Clemont turned to their enemy with Serena, tossing his smoking invention to the side. Then there was an explosion in the lobby, and a loud laugh from Toll. "Now it's  _our_  turn to tell you not to take another step."

Alastair watched the pair, and then he and Gengar grinned. "Very well. I'm sure I can afford a few seconds more to utterly destroy whatever hope you think you have left. Come!"

* * *

Dust filtered in the air. Stones trickled down into the refracting lights, and sounds reached his ears. Seamus coughed, pain wracking his entire body. He couldn't see, and he could barely hear, with those sounds reduced to naught but mere muffles in his auditory receptors. There was a ringing there, too, and a need to resist the urge to vomit, but he held it in. His pain was making that far harder than it should have been, with his chest feeling broken over every inch of it.

Yet he was alive.

That alone made Seamus snap open his eyes, witnessing only the dust that had fallen in. There seemed to be some sunlight peeking through in a corner of the room, looking golden like the sunset, but that was all he could see in that moment beyond dark shapes in the shadows. Quickly, his eyes began to adjust in the darkened hallways beneath the stadium, wondering how Deirdre's major attack had been stopped; how he was still alive. His hand reached out, planting itself on the ground and it gripped at the dust that had fallen there, coating his hand. The blond tried to pull himself forward, but found himself unable to, the pain in his body making him cry out and begin to cough.

"G-Gladion…Guzma…" he groaned out, his eyes searching through the darkened swirl for his companions, soon finding them. Gladion had been thrown against a wall, his chest barely moving up and down, while even Silvally seemed to barely be moving. Further along was Guzma, passed out underneath the glowing meteonite, still pulsing with energy. He coughed, but was otherwise unmoving, as was his Golisopod, the last strike having done quite the damage. Once more, Seamus attempted to push up, but his arm slipped. It was still dark. Why was it so dark directly in front of him, and so red? Were his eyes bleeding from the blow?

More sounds returned to his ears, only this time it sounded closer, like a voice that was actually talking. In the corner of Seamus' blurring vision, he thought he could see a shadow of rubble falling from above, but his senses were trying to make more sense of what was in front of him. Soon, the ringing diminished, replaced with a chiding, taunting voice instead.

"Well, what a shame…" It was Deirdre's voice, he knew it. "Turns out someone thinks you're worth saving after all. It just means I'll need to try to kill you again. We don't need you in the new world."

"You…won't…touch…him…" a voice breathed out, and Seamus' eyes snapped open further, wide with fear. The black and red faded away, revealing instead the form of a human girl, A human girl with black hair, who was on her knees. Finally, his vision stopped swimming.

"Merry…" Seamus breathed, sending him into more coughs. He took her in, her entire midsection almost entirely blasted apart from the attack that Deirdre and Altaria had launched, cuts and scrapes covering her body, something that no amount of illusion creating her human form could hide. Tears pricked at Seamus' eyes, and he shook his head. "No…not you, Merry. Not you…"

"It's okay," Merry said. Her body was flickering in and out, as though trying to hold the illusion of the girl, the one he once thought he would love, for as long as she could, bits of the Zoroark peeking through. Deirdre stood back, almost looking amused, as though she never thought he could care for anyone else.

"No, it's not okay! Merry!" Seamus shouted. He pushed at the ground, fighting back the pain as he gritted his teeth. "Why would you do this? Why would you…?"

"Because he loved you," she spoke, voice growing weak, sounding guttural. Seamus finally managed to stand, and he looked at Deirdre, rage growing in his eyes. Merry didn't move, merely holding her position as she seemed to suffer from her pain; pain that Deirdre had caused to her. His fist clenched, and despite the pain in his body, adrenaline rushed through Seamus' veins. "That was…all that…mattered…"

"No! You mattered! You matter to me! And to Beth and Chris and Thea and… _you_ …" Seamus roared, rounding on Deirdre. He didn't know where his strength came from, but he ran at the woman, aiming a punch right for her. She caught it, and with a swift strike, sunk her own fist into his stomach, causing him to gag, a rib breaking beneath it, blood flinging from his mouth.

"Seamus, you outlived my son, despite your own pitiful past being the same as his. Why? Why did you get to survive when he didn't? Why did this world choose  _you_  when all you were was a leech on it? !"

"Shut…UP!" Merry roared, and before Seamus knew it, she had run forward, changing back into the form of Zoroark, her claws wreathed in shadows before she slashed onto Deirdre's figure. The woman avoided the blow, but just barely. Her leg swung out, kicking into both Seamus and Zoroark, knocking them back. Seamus skidded along the ground, dropping to his knees.

"Dragon Pulse," the cold woman commanded. Zoroark opened her mouth, and with a great roar, sent a Dark Pulse raging out. The two pulses collided in midair, straining against one another, until Zoroark's leg slipped from the wounds on her. The Dragon Pulse consumed the Dark Pulse and clamped its jaws upon Zoroark before Altaria sailed back through the darkness, glowing golden. Seamus opened his mouth to scream, but all he could do was lunge forward as Altaria's golden wings sliced straight through Zoroark's body. She cried out, blood flying from her, splattering the walls, and she fell, eyes beginning to grow cold. Seamus reached under his precious friend and caught her, holding her as the blood seeped into his clothing.

"No. No. No!" he called out, almost screaming, his tears already falling to her darkened fur. Zoroark turned, looking up at Seamus, smiling, before she transformed one more time, into the form of Merle. She looked so happy, and Seamus couldn't help his tears. He was going to lose her again. "Merry, come on! Why'd you do it? Why'd you save me? It's you who needs to live. We promised! We promised! We said…"

"It's…okay…" she spoke, and her hand reached forward, cupping his face. He cried into it, feeling her skin one last time. "Dalton…believed…in you…"

"I know, but we said we wouldn't waste any more lives! That's not who we are!" Seamus protested, not wanting to believe it was real. Still, she smiled, and he began to shake. Merry lifted her body up, just enough with what remained of her strength, and kissed Seamus on the crown of his head.

"Thank you," she spoke, voice going soft. "Live…for his…future..."

Merry's body went limp, the form of the human fading away to leave naught but the Zoroark. Seamus could feel it, her life completely leaving her, and he snapped his gaze up to the woman who'd done it, pure, unadulterated rage rushing into his veins. He wanted to scream out her name. He wanted to cry out in pain. But all Seamus could do was glare at her, his body unable to move.

Deirdre scoffed.

"His future? Dalton was a soft fool, and his Zoroark was clearly softer," the woman spoke. Seamus gripped Merry's body closer. "Thinking people could change, or that the world could change. Hard medicine, he called it? Hah! The only hard medicine is life and death itself, and your precious Merry learned that the hard way. How does it feel, Seamus? Does it feel like your legs have been taken out from under you? Do you feel like you had your heart and soul ripped out from her being such a fool?

"Shut up…Don't you talk about them like that! Don't you  _ever_  make yourself out to be better!" Seamus screamed, still clutching tight to his fallen friend. She was still warm, but quickly growing cold, though it seemed Deirdre could care less.

"I want you to  _understand_ ," Deirdre spoke, walking closer with a snarl on her lips, "that same pain I feel every day. If emotional pain from killing her is what does it, then you can live with that for the short time you have left. None of  _you_  are needed for perfec-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, DEIRDRE!"

Seamus' eyes widened, and he could see Gladion twitch, his own lips smiling, with even Guzma doing the same. A shadow flew out of nowhere as rubble exploded downward, almost creating a set of stairs from it to the stadium above. Before Deirdre could complete her statement, a fist had socked her across the face, while a glowing appendage struck Altaria, sending it flying into the wall. The woman slid along, her shadow slowing in the bright lights as she looked up, scowling, before a grin began to adorn Seamus' face. The newcomer to their battle began to speak, and the dust cleared.

"You think taking lives to cause other people pain is perfect? You think anyone here is unneeded?" Ash spoke, raising his fist up to face the auburn-haired woman, Pikachu and Greninja joining him at his side. "Well, the way I see it, the only one not needed is  _you_. So, why don't you just shut up and leave everyone else alone!"

"And if I don't?" Deirdre asked, the grin now snapping back on to her face. Shivers of both rage and fear traveled down Seamus' spine, but when he looked to Ash, he could see the man that had changed his life into one worth living still standing for him, not an ounce of trembling across his figure. "Will you take revenge for your fallen friend? For your Champion?"

"Not at all. We don't do that," Ash said, lowering his fist and slamming it into his palm. The light grew brighter, and heat poured in, as though a great flame was scorching across the entire coliseum. Ash didn't waver, however; he and his Pokémon just did what they always did and took a step forward. "We're just gonna protect our world and kick your ass!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Things have gotten worse, huh? From Ho-oh now under IDEAL's control while IDEAL is back in action again, things are getting nasty, even if the army has finally received its second wind enough to finally win the battle at long last. Who knows how it will go? Though the final matchups begin now, especially Ash against Deirdre, the fight that I'm sure you've been waiting for at long last.
> 
> However, we also need to discuss Merry. When I first started this story's planning, I wasn't going to kill Merry, though I knew that Seamus, Gladion and Guzma would team up to fight Deirdre. However, I decided, in the end, that I needed to kill a Pokémon to really make this feel devastating, and to convey the sheer anguish Deirdre has. Merry was the most obvious choice, especially because of her beliefs with Dalton about the future, hoping that Seamus lives on. It's also proof that, contrary to what Deirdre believes, Seamus has become a man, like Ash, that others are willing to die for so that they can live. I think that's a huge thing to bring his story full circle. He was never going to die, because he was always a character that I wanted to stress needed to live for him to own his mistakes. I made that decision way back in Turbulence.
> 
> The final battles have begun, so please don't look away! Thanks for all your support, and I hope you continue to Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	23. A Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is time to break out the XY&Z. That is all that needs to be said. Time for Chapter 23, also.

Chapter 23

A Rage

Ash's feet shifted, scraping along the dust and rubble that now plagued the space beneath the stadium. Deirdre was watching him, a smile across her face, like she'd been looking forward to his arrival all along. It reminded him sharply of the last time he'd been here, below Ancien Stadium, and the loss he'd suffered then. Deirdre was wearing the same look as  _her_ , and for a brief second, Ash wondered if she was searching for the same thing: wanting all of this to end. He quickly narrowed his eyes and chose to abandon the notion. He would figure that out with a battle.

"Seamus, Gladion, Guzma," Ash spoke up, his voice echoing around the space as the dull rumblings of an explosion sounded out above his head. Deirdre didn't even make a movement at them. "You guys did great. Thanks. We'll take it from here."

"Ya better win,  _kid_ ," Guzma chuckled out, and Gladion joined him, the three of them acknowledging their past together. Ash nodded, fiddling with his hat a second. Then he looked down to Seamus, clutching to the form of Zoroark. Sadness creeped into him; the Pokémon he'd once fought, understanding her pain, was now gone. The raven-haired trainer breathed out, but he faced forward to Deirdre.

"Seamus, I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough," he said to his friend, the blond looking up at him. It took a second, but he nodded. His hands lowered, placing his fallen friend down on the ground, but his body didn't move to stand, like he was handing the torch off to him for the fight that was ahead.

"It's okay…" he spoke, sniffling a bit. "She gave the future, his future, to us…so win. Ash, kick her ass!"

"Planning on it," Ash spoke, smirking across at Deirdre. "Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried and he burst forward, a bright white aura surrounding his entire little body as he ran, right for Altaria. Deirdre cocked an eyebrow, as though surprised he would attack without much else to say. Ash ran right for her, catching sight of her legs, mottled and broken, but she was still standing. Eyes narrowing in wonder, he swung his leg out. Pikachu rammed into Altaria, sending the Humming Pokémon flying back.

"Greninja, use Cut!" Ash cried. Greninja clasped at his side and drew forth his watery kunai, running for the very same target as Pikachu. Ash crossed his arms alongside his Pokémon, right as his kick seemed to make contact. Deirdre caught it with her hand, smirking, but Ash pushed forward. "So, what's with your legs? Is that why you needed an illusion?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Deirdre said, lips still twisted in a smirk. Ash peered deep into the woman's eyes, scanning for what lay beneath them. They were no longer empty, like every time before, but instead burning with a rage and sadness; it was something he'd only glimpsed before. It was enough to give him a measure of her and start figuring her out. "But it won't matter! Dragon Pulse, rapid fire!"

"Altar! Tar! Tari!" Altaria cried out, flapping around in the air and rearing her head back, before firing out one dragon after another. All of the purple beams aimed right for Greninja. He didn't stop, brandishing his kunai and bringing them to bear. The Dragon Pulse slammed into Greninja, but he held fast before slicing it apart, causing the ethereal creature to dissipate. As he did so, Ash did the same, knocking his fists out and punching across Deirdre's midsection, causing them to break off from one another.

"Iron Tail, go!" Ash called. Pikachu, landing briefly on the ground, swung right back up with his shining tail and whacked it into Altaria's lower body. The Humming Pokémon cried.

"Sky Attack," Deirdre snapped out. Altaria's body glowed a golden hue once more and it shot forward, before Pikachu's tail even faded its shining glow. Ash backed off, watching Deirdre's movements, as her Pokémon rammed into Pikachu, sending him down to the ground before leveling off and shooting for Greninja. The woman was standing there confidently and gracefully, despite all indications of the way her legs looked saying that it should have been otherwise. There was something there, and he just had to figure out what. The meteonite could wait.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted. He and Greninja ran forward, moving as one, until they reached their targets, both of which were coming right for them. Greninja's fist glowed, and Ash's punched forward. Before Altaria could make contact with Greninja, he slammed his fist down onto Altaria, stopping the blow and sending a shockwave around them. Ash's own fist was intercepted with Deirdre's fist, the two locking in place before his other fist soared out to strike her face. There was a momentary waver in the refracting light from Deirdre's shadow. "Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika CHU PI!" Pikachu rose up from behind Altaria, his tail sparking with the pulsating and crackling orb. He sent it hurtling down, right onto Altaria's back, where it exploded. Deirdre's head was turning back, and Ash saw her leg snapping out, while the rest of her body stayed in place. He leapt back, avoiding the kick that sent wind gusting over his body, knocking his hat to the ground.

"Water Shuriken! Slice it!" Ash called, reaching for his back while Greninja did the same. Pikachu fell, landing atop Altaria with a grin. Greninja slashed upwards, brandishing his giant shuriken and striking Altaria powerfully. Ash made an uppercut. Now, Deirdre's whole body moved, the same rippling shadow moving with her. Ash's eyes narrowed, and he quickly looked to his fallen friends. The woman was punching out. "Slam 'em with Aerial Ace and Thunderbolt!"

"Ninja!" Greninja flipped into the air, his legs glowing a bright white before bringing them down to collide with Altaria, knocking its head down towards the ground. Pikachu continued grinning, bringing the electricity all around his body before letting it loose, the voltage consuming Altaria's body before Ash's most trusted Pokémon leapt into the air, spinning with an Iron Tail towards Altaria.

"Dodge it with Sky Attack!" Deirdre said, eyes growing wide with entertainment and enthusiasm. She almost looked to be having fun, but Ash could still see the smoldering rage beneath. Ash's leg kicked out, and she did the same, the two kicks meeting with each other. Ash could feel the force of the kick, far stronger than her legs would have suggested, but she seemed to feel nothing. Her shadow obscured Altaria and Pikachu, while Altaria glowed golden yet again and shot away from Pikachu. His Iron Tail made contact with the ground, and Deirdre jerked back, showing Pikachu to have harmlessly hit it as the shadow of her body slipped away from his landing site. Altaria was making a run around with its attack, aiming right for Greninja.

"Double Team!" Ash shouted. He straightened up as multiple copies of Greninja appeared and populated the hallway they were battling in. Altaria went soaring for them, twisting and looking through the air, soaring through each and every copy. Ash began to smirk. "Finally…I figured you out…"

"Oh? I seriously doubt that. I don't think you could ever understand  _me_ ," Deirdre stated. Ash looked up at her, continuing to wear his confident smirk while his body crouched into a position for battle. "Though, that's what makes you so wonderful. Watching you in your action, and your wife. Your pure-heartedness. It's what drew Ho-oh to you. No wonder your Pokémon, your friends, your army all followed you so willingly into despair without any concern for themselves."

"Water Shuriken, toss it!" Ash called, not obliging her in the moment. Greninja once more grabbed hold of his shuriken and sent it hurling forward before Altaria could reach his true self. It impacted. "You mean I can't understand your pain and sadness? Maybe. I've had my own fair share of it, but unlike you, I'm clinging to something greater. I'm not just a shadow that refuses to step into the light."

"Draco Meteor!" Deirdre snapped out, as if not liking the words that Ash was speaking. She jabbed forward rapidly, as though not in control of the swiftness that her body was being carried at. Ash threw up an arm to stop it, but felt a bruise instantly forming on his forearm. Altaria rose upward, the orange glow permeating its body before firing out the orb that split into numerous meteors.

"Didn't think that would make you even angrier! Those aren't very good emotions for a perfect world, are they? Pikachu, Quick Attack to dodge, char 'em with Thunderbolt!" Ash called, his smirk widening to a grin. Now he really knew what it was. Ash batted Deirdre's fist away and sent another punch right upwards into her stomach. "Maybe next time you should try for a world a little closer to your level. Greninja, Cut through them!"

"Pi pi pi!" Pikachu called, flitting along the ground with his burst of Quick Attack, sending out sparks that blasted away some of the falling meteors. Greninja soared in to take care of the rest, his kunai shining brightly with the rainbow and leaping up into the air. He began to spin, water surrounding his figure, and he blitzed forward, bouncing from meteor to meteor as he sliced through them all. Each impact carried him to the next, just like their Draco Meteor Climb of the past. The meteors fell to the ground, slamming around the hallway with mini-explosions, but with nowhere near the amount of destructive force they held before. Pikachu looked back to Ash, who nodded. They were still on the same wavelength. Pikachu leapt into the air, spinning through it before he finally got into Deirdre's shadow. His tail glowed again and he slammed downward. This time, the Iron Tail drove into the ground that was concealed by her shadow. Deirdre seemed to stop a minute, coughing a bit as she looked back.

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu! Let it loose!" Ash yelled. Pikachu grinned, his electric sacs lighting up. Then the outpouring of electricity blasted along the area, scorching at the ground, forcing the shadow to light up with an intense burst of light. Ash watched Deirdre, seeing her flinch a moment, her legs almost giving way underneath her, until something suddenly  _protruded_  from the shadow and punched forward into Pikachu.

"Pika? !" Pikachu called out in surprise, flying across the room and into a wall. His collision forced it to crack, but he dropped down to the ground just fine. Ash continued to look, the small shadowy form turning its head, its orange eyes glaring towards Ash, like he hated him for discovering his hiding place, a small, silver crown jiggling on its head. Deirdre scowled as well.

"What is that…?" Seamus breathed out, but no one had an answer for him. Well, no one but Deirdre.

"Marshadow, are you all right?" the auburn-haired woman said. The creature in her shadow, clearly named Marshadow, turned and peeked up at her, fist at its mouth, before smiling at her. It sent shivers down Ash's spine, but he was already figuring things out. Focusing and seeing through Greninja's eyes, now that this strange and unfamiliar Pokémon had been revealed, showed a whole new story. There seemed to be thin stitching, impossible to break and invisible to normal eyes, but not Greninja's, that tied Deirdre's body to the shadow on the floor.

"So, that's how you did it…" Ash commented. "Marshadow, right? It's controlling your body. That's why your shadow sometimes moves faster than it, or your body moves quicker than it should. Heck, you look like you shouldn't be able to walk! It must be moving your body with your shadow…Is that how the illusion was done, too. How your illusion was able to fight? How you were able to hold us in place during battle?"

"Hmph…you're more perceptive than you let on," Deirdre spoke, a smirk crossing over her features. Marshadow had yet to disappear, but Altaria returned to her side. "Yes, Marshadow was my eyes, and my ears, and my legs. Thank Louise's technology for that. It was roughly the same principle used to replicate the meteonite, but its success couldn't be rivaled. Her ability to synch my upper body movements with Marshadow's and to communicate with him really helped us. Gengar just completed the visual and auditory package. Though, Altaria and he being together was the biggest boon."

"Mar mar!" Marshadow called out, looking pleased at getting the praise. Ash watched it, before the little one glared at him angrily. He sighed out. It hadn't taken long to expose the true nature of that particular Pokémon.

"You're a pretty fitting pair," Ash said. Pikachu ran back over, he and Greninja facing forward, all of them sensing that the battle had changed now that Deirdre's method of movement had been exposed. "Two shadows: one that lives in them, the other being one that's become a mere shell. When did it happen, Deirdre? When did you allow yourself to lose hope?"

"Hope? This ideal world  _is_  my hope…Marshadow's hope," she spoke. The Pokémon sunk back down, disappearing back into the shadow, and Deirdre's upper body began to move, punching rapidly and sending a breeze outward, ruffling against Ash's hair. "He had his dream to become a Pokémon given to him in the cruelest of ways, the boy that must have once been this poor sweetheart before life was ripped away from him. Now look at him and his tortured soul that remains. Is it any wonder this is his hope? To be more than a shadow again. To make a world where no one slips through the cracks. Isn't that a world worth fighting for?"

"No. It isn't," Ash stated simply. He now walked forward, raising his own fist upwards. "I don't know how you became this, but I understand who you are now. If we're going to make a world where people don't slip through the cracks, we'll do it by our own effort, our own hands. And we'll start by beating you!"

"If you can, boy," Deirdre snarled out, and she raised her wrist. Her long sleeves pulled back, revealing a large Z-Ring beneath, and set on its underside was a keystone. From within Altaria's fluffy wings, an Altarianite emerged. Then Deirdre touched to her Z-Ring and grinned. "I'm done playing with you. Time for you to experience  _true_  despair. Mega Evolve!"

* * *

"Fire Blast, let's go!"

"Braiiiiiixen!" Braixen shouted, jabbing her wand forward and sending the bright star of flame flying out. Luxray pawed at the ground, as if waiting for the command to strike forward. In the sky above, just beyond the clouds, Serena could see the Rainbow Pokémon, just out of range of any solid attack. Down below, IDEAL was making their moves again, but Serena focused herself on Alastair, who held out Aegislash's shield, hunkering down to block the fire. It was still a strong force, pushing his body back while he slashed with the Royal Sword Pokémon. The flames broke.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball. Buy me the time needed," Alastair spoke, his gaze seeming focused, sharp and unrelenting. He stepped away while his Gengar grinned, a giant Shadow Ball forming near its mouth before firing off for Braixen. That was Clemont and Luxray's time to move, even as Alastair dropped off the edge of the stadium's top, rolling into the stands below.

"Ice Fang!" Clemont shouted. Serena tapped Clemont on the shoulder, thanking him, and she decided to jump off, herself. Braixen flipped forward as well, moving to intercept Alastair. She did so quickly, landing almost right in front of him, while Serena took more time to get down to the stands. In the meantime, she watched as Luxray's fangs glowed with an icy chill. Gengar fired, but Luxray stopped it in its tracks, biting into the shadowy orb and freezing the ghostly presence over before breaking it. "Wild Charge! Go, Serena!"

"Right!" Serena shouted, and she let go, falling the short distance enough to roll forward. She stopped a minute, making sure she was okay, and ran for Braixen, who was sending Flamethrower after Flamethrower towards Alastair, the man dodging each and every one. In his pocket, he seemed to be holding close to the shimmering feather, which, if possible, was glowing even brighter than before. "Keep going Braixen!"

"Brai!" Braixen confirmed. Serena looked back as Luxray went charging for Gengar. The Shadow Pokémon seemed to chuckle, and then it sank beneath the ground, Luxray passing over it without doing a thing. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon whipped around. Clemont ran to the edge of the stone as his Pokémon barked, scanning the area with his X-Ray vision and finding the form of Gengar traveling through. The inventor dropped down, Luxray leaping after him, but Serena gave a shout.

"Beneath you, Braixen! Move!" she shouted. Braixen looked down and instantly jumped away as Gengar appeared, the grin still leering on its face, menacing all of them as Luxray jumped to be at Braixen's side. Alastair stopped short, looking around at all of them there. For the first time, in the rainbow hued sunset, she could see how empty his left eye looked. Then his lips twitched.

"Wave Signal, Gengar. Let's stir things up enough," Alastair said. He turned away from them, but Serena knew that there was no way Alastair was opening himself up to attack. That became obvious seconds later.

"Gar!" Gengar shouted, its eyes shifting between yellow and red rapidly again. Serena felt her head going woozy and she gripped at her stomach, holding it tight, while Braixen dug her stick in upon her toes, keeping herself awake. While they recovered, Gengar fired a large Shadow Ball straight up into the air where it exploded with dark particles. For a moment, in Serena's delirious brain, she wondered what it was for, but got her answer in a moment from a shout in the distance.

"Eruption! Burn 'em all down!" Toll's voice. Serena bit at her lip, causing herself enough pain to remain awake. She looked in the distance, to where bright flames erupted from within the lobby, blowing apart some of the stands, though nowhere near to where they were currently standing. Another shadow vanished underneath the ground there, racing away. Serena felt her knees giving way, but remained on her feet. Alastair was running again, while Braixen raised her wand and sent a Hidden Power whirling out. The streaks dotted the stairs, stopping Alastair from descending the steps ahead of them.

"Protect!" yelled the elderly voice of Chi. Serena's vision finally sharpened. Down in the exposed lobby, Serena could see everything clearly enough. Chi's Doublade had snapped into a defensive position, the rest of Alpha Squad forming ranks near him. Toll wasn't alone, either, however, with Louise having joined. All of the others, including the Champions, remained busy fighting off the hordes of Pokémon. Beyond them, the rest of their own forces kept beating back the tide; from Miette and Misty combining attacks that Passimian and Kommo-o aided with to create a large explosion, all the way to Paul and Sawyer's Grass types teaming up. As Serena pulled herself up, a green Pin Missile fired straight from Beedrill, aiming for the members of Alpha Squad.

"Mothim, Quiver Dance, and Air Slash!" Theta ordered. Behind the woman, Serena could see Christopher and Bethany guiding some people out of the lobby, clearly a dangerous zone with Toll's explosions. Mothim shuddered, glowing red, and then it zipped forward, summoning a blue sphere of air before firing the attack forward. It zipped off to another area and fired another. The small orbs of the Air Slash carried the compressed air forward, meeting with the Pin Missile in the air and exploding. Another orb blasted through, while Serena could see a Dark Pulse fire from Tau's Skuntank joining with it. The dark nexus swirled around the sphere and slammed into Beedrill, sending it flying backwards.

The rest of IDEAL may have been revived, but they were still exhausted. Serena realized they still had a chance.

"Double Team, keep them out of the way," Alastair stated. Serena shook her head, finally getting the clarity needed as multiple Gengar populated the stairs with their grins. Alastair was lost in the middle of it all, while the Shadow Pokémon lifted up, its front legs glowing a bright purple, infused with poison. Serena looked back to Clemont, and both acted, choosing to not let Alastair get away at this point.

"Psyshock!" Serena cried, and Braixen acted. Her purple streaks flew out, five in a row that split off, each aiming for a different Gengar, and blasted through the copies. It did the job, eliminating the doubles as they twisted and spun through the population.

"Night Slash!" Clemont shouted. Luxray bounded forward, claws gleaming their own purple glow before aiming for the sole Gengar remaining, whose grin dropped into a face of annoyance that it still had to actively fight. Luxray slashed and sent Gengar tumbling back, straight into Alastair. Serena and Clemont offered each other a high five and gave pursuit. As she did, Serena looked to the ever-closer lobby.

"Earth Power," Toll was calling, his shaggy blond hair preventing Serena from seeing his eyes. Camerupt's body glowed and the ground underneath churned golden. Even along the stands of the stadium, it was starting to crack from all the earlier damage sustained. Alpha Squad backed up as Beedrill buzzed its way forward, right for Mothim. The glow burst from the earth, right underneath Alpha Squad's feet, knocking them back towards the entrance of the lobby. The Champions had retreated, guarding the army that yet remained beyond, having been pushed back by Toll.

"You arrogant and insufferable brats never stay down, do you? !" roared a new voice. Instead of a golden ground,  _stars_  of gold flew forth, slamming into Camerupt's figure, before a red beam fired from a hallway off the lobby. The red beam struck into Toll, sending him flying back. From that hallway emerged Nanu, still looking banged up, but grinning. "You should stay dead, if I'm honest."

"Nanu…Thought you kicked the bucket?" Toll asked. Nanu's only answer to that was a grin. A sharp cry was torn from Braixen's lips, and Serena looked to her faithful Pokémon. Her wand was extended, pointing down at her trainer's feet. Before Serena could look, she felt her body being yanked back by Luxray, who growled as a Shadow Claw jutted upwards, tearing off a part of her skirt.

"Seeeeen!" Braixen roared, sending a rocketing Flamethrower out that consumed the claw, drawing out the Sableye that was beneath it, the new foe seeming angry at having been caught so easily. Its breath was misting from exhaustion, and Serena could tell that it was still recovering from its earlier battle with the others. That gave them an advantage. The heat from the fiery assault began to spread, burning along the stone stands.

"Sable…" Sableye hissed, sinking beneath the stone again. Serena whipped her head around, looking for Matori, given that the woman was no doubt nearby. Nanu seemed to have engaged Toll, taking him in an armlock, though it was easily broken out of, the two men circling each other. Clemont was running past Serena, for Alastair, who was still moving forward.

"Keep an eye on it Braixen, and be ready for anything," Serena called. Braixen nodded, both observing the battlefield and looking for the shadow. It didn't take long to catch sight of it, burning along with the heated stones. It suddenly flew up with glowing claws, ready to enact a Sucker Punch upon the Fox Pokémon. "Now!"

"Brai!" Braixen yelled, whipping her branch out and nailing Sableye before its Sucker Punch could make contact. Sableye was trapped at the end of it, being flung around with every movement, and Braixen grinned while Serena clasped her fist. The Fire type's wand was lit with fire, and then it burst forward, consuming Sableye and tossing it away. They could resume their chase, even as the battle below began to grow more intense.

"Fell Stinger!" Louise shouted, looking like she had a snarl on her face. Serena continued to chase after Clemont while keeping one eye peeled on that battlefield, hoping to catch sight of Matori along the way. Beedrill shot forward, but Chi ordered a command. Doublade began whirling through the air, both of its blades glowing white. Before long, the two met on their collision course, the blades making contact with the stinger.

"Now, Mothim!" The quivering of Mothim's wings could be heard even near to them, despite their distance as they chased Alastair. Gengar sunk into the ground, whipping through it with a visible shadow to get ahead of them. Mothim flashed forward, the familiar red waves radiating off of its body to hit Beedrill. The Spear Pokémon wavered from the strike, allowing Doublade the chance to send its free blade whirling up into the body of the Bug type. Skuntank struck.

"Shadow Ball!" Tau yelled out. Skuntank opened its mouth and fired, the ghostly orb sailing off, painted by the sunset, and then exploding with force against Beedrill's head. Nanu, too, was taking action.

"Power Gem! Tear it apart, Persian!" Nanu said, and he jumped into the air, right upon Toll's body, pinning him to the ground before raising a fist and punching the man in the face. Yet again, Serena pulled to a stop with Clemont, as Gengar was populating the stairs once more. Alastair was almost down the stands at this point, while his Gengar was loading ammunition with a Shadow Ball on every copy and firing the artillery of them at the trainers and their Pokémon.

"Hidden Power!" Serena shouted, ducking low as one of the attacks sailed over her head. She looked over to see Nanu and Toll rolling along the ground until they bumped into Camerupt. Beedrill righted itself. Most important, however, was Braixen's strike, summoning as many orbs of the silvery projectile as she could to her wand, rings of them running up and down her wand before she fired them forward. The silver orbs made a beeline right for the Shadow Balls and made contact with them. They exploded in midair, but left the Gengar still remaining.

"Wild Charge!" Clemont shouted. Luxray growled loudly, body spluttering to life with electricity, and he rammed through the closest copy of Gengar, not stopping. More and more of the copies vanished. A Shadow Claw jutted upwards from the ground, revealing that Sableye had returned to the battle, but Luxray didn't stop.

"Raaay!" Luxray roared and slammed into the claw, dragging Sableye out and opening his jaw to clamp down on the Ghost type before tossing it away and skidding to a stop. The recoil wracked his body, shaking his head.

"Stay down already!" Serena heard Toll's voice shouting, and she finally looked up. Alastair was near to the barricade between the stands and the arena below, but Nanu and Toll were stuck in a gridlock between each other. "Pay for your sins already, old man! You're too stubborn to have in the new world! Explosion, Camerupt! Blow him sky high!"

"Oh, I'm well aware," Nanu said with a grin, before his knee came up and pummeled Toll's stomach. With surprising strength, the Kahuna lifted Toll up and heaved him over, right on top of his glowing Camerupt, the explosion process having begun. "But I don't want to go there. I'm sick enough of this world, and I've been paying the price for my sins a long time. How about you, Toll?"

"Merrowr!" Persian screeched loudly. Serena looked to Braixen as the Classy Cat leapt for Camerupt and sent a powerful Dark Pulse at Toll. The man's eyes widened as it pushed into his chest, causing the bomber to go rigid. Persian then licked at his lips, all while Braixen sent a Fire Blast out that consumed the stairs, including Gengar and Sableye both, allowing them the chance to pursue Alastair yet again. Nanu walked forward, even as Toll stood, heaving.

"When are you going to pay for yours? You consider yourself a sin eater; a ferryman to the other side, right?" Nanu spoke. "Well, I got a big plate for you, but I don't think you can handle this one. Heh, so why don't we eat it together?"

"Nanu, you crazy bastard, what do you think you're doing?" Even as Serena ran, she could easily identify that as Kahili's voice, and she looked to see the older woman, Acerola and Lance having arrived from the outside, looking ragged from the battles. The Pokémon still battled fiercely against their forces, and Serena could see Ash's Charizard battling back and forth. Nanu began to laugh, as Camerupt nearly reached full brightness.

"Ahahahahahaha!" he called out, and even Alastair stopped on the steps, looking over to Nanu. The former policeman seemed to have cracked, a wide grin splaying itself on his face. A smog began to fill the lobby from Skuntank's Smokescreen, obscuring Beedrill's recovered path. "Don't try to stop this, bird lady! You, too, pipsqueak! A reckoning is coming for us all, right? Might as well go out the way  _I_  want to. Ain't that right, Tolbert?"

"You're crazy, old man!" Toll cried, leaping off of Camerupt. Nanu was there waiting, as was Persian. With immense strength, the cat grabbed ahold of Camerupt with its front legs, and with a heave, sent it flying upwards, towards the stairs while its body pulsed. "But if that's how you feel, I've got no problem taking your life!"

"Toll, stop it! Nanu's not-!" Louise began to protest, but she couldn't seem to get the words out in time.

"Electroweb!" Theta shouted. Doublade pulled back, erecting a protective shield around all of Alpha Squad. Mothim fluttered forward, shooting out the electrified spider web that flew into the smoke cloud, tingling in with sparks around the surface. Serena knew just what was coming, especially as the web seemed to catch Beedrill and Louise both. "You're not the only ones with experience, you know."

"And you're not the first to seek a better world," Tau was shouting out. "That is why, on our honor as Alpha Squad, we'll see your ideals laid to rest. That work for you, Kahuna Nanu?"

"Loving it!" Nanu said, just as Toll reached him. The Kahuna sent his palm flying forward, grabbing ahold of Toll's face, grinning even through whatever pain his body was being subjected to. "Now, bird lady!"

"Uncle Nani!" Acerola shouted, but she was lost to the din of the next voice.

"You're crazy, old man…" Kahili said, but she placed her fingers to her lips and whistled. Toucannon soared forward, alongside Kahili's Skarmory. They weren't alone. Camerupt slammed against the wall towards the stands, but in no time, Charizard had reached the beast and held it suspended in the air. Staraptor and Talonflame flew in alongside Skarmory and Toucannon, angling for Louise, Beedrill, Toll and Nanu. Serena kept running, nearly upon Alastair.

"Hyper Beam!" Louise shouted through the smoke. It was a final call, but then the Hyper Beam fired out. The attack slammed into the Protect shield, while Lance's Dragonite held his own Protect around his trainer and Kahili. The stands were shuddering from that particular blast, and whatever else was going on down below.

However, that attack was the spark on the fire that was already charged. Serena looked away, knowing that Louise had made a huge folly in her attempt to break free. The air exploded, pushing Alpha Squad back and flinging Louise into the air. Skarmory grabbed hold of her, while Talonflame and Staraptor grabbed hold of Nanu and Toll, lifting them up. The Hyper Beam was still going, cutting along the ground.

"Foul Play, Persian! We're going out with a bang, buddy!"

"Growar!" Persian cried out, clearly happy with the result. He leapt into the Hyper Beam, pushing his body through it with the same exact feral expression that Nanu was wearing, his claws glowing black as they seemed to almost absorb the blow of the Hyper Beam. Then, the Classy Cat reached Beedrill and slashed into it, carrying it forward and pinning the both of them to the wall. At the same time, Nanu slammed his other hand forward, and with a maniacal grin, plastered both Toll and Louise against Camerupt's body, the Eruption Pokémon still impending with the Explosion it couldn't stop.

"All right,  _Champion_ , time for my own KB Protocol!" Nanu shouted, holding them tight with Talonflame and Staraptor still keeping them airborne. Alastair reached the end of the stands, about to fling himself over. Serena looked at Clemont, knowing they couldn't let that happen.

"Psyshock!" Serena yelled, while Clemont called for a Wild Charge. Luxray charged forward, body blazing with electricity, as purple streaks fired from Braixen's claws. They soared out, and before long, impacted with Alastair in the back. It bought them just a little time as the man fell forward, stumbling into the edge of the stands. Gengar disappeared and raced for him. Serena turned her gaze to search for Sableye, but saw it seemingly passed out on the stands. That just left. "Ah!"

"Serena!" Clemont cried out. Hot pain erupted across her arm, blood trickling from a gash on it. She clasped to it, feeling its new, disturbing warmth on her palm as she looked up to the sight of Matori, holding knives. Sableye had just been the distraction while she got in position. However, Serena saw her hands were shaky; the steady assassin wasn't quite so steady anymore, especially with the scowl on her lips. They were caught in a situation.

"Nanu, you're crazy, you know?" Lance yelled, but he raised a hand up to snap his fingers. Serena briefly looked towards Nanu, seeing the man grinning with the kind of grin only he could wear in battle.

"Oh, I know! But I'm okay with that. Koa's been waitin' for me a long time," Nanu shouted, his eyes more alive than they'd ever been as he continued pinning Toll and Louise. Just like on Mount Lanakila, countless Pokémon were surrounding the sextet with Protect shields, leaving only the stands exposed. Beedrill seemed to break free of Persian's hold, driving into the cat with a Twineedle, before buzzing for the gap in the shields.

"Shadow Ball!" Tau shouted. Skuntank aimed upwards and fired, the Shadow Ball whistling through the air for the gap. Before Beedrill could emerge, it pushed the Spear Pokémon back in, right against Camerupt. At that exact moment, Charizard dropped Camerupt, while the rest of the fliers let go, racing for the exit of the Kill Box. Nanu, however, continued holding the others in place.

"Any words you want me to pass on to Lionel?"

"Let us go!" Toll shouted, gripping at Nanu's hands, trying to pull him off. No one answered to the man's grin, through Louise shouted, clearly trying to stop him from doing this, as the Protect shields of all the Pokémon they could muster surrounded them like an inescapable cage, Ash's Pokémon now fully free.

"Nanu, surely you won't let it go like this!" the woman yelled. "You saw how bad Alola got; saw what needed to be changed. This world needs a medicine! We need to make it right! Need to fix things for everyone…for her…"

"I don't give a shit," Nanu grinned out, holding tight to them. "This world can go to hell for all I care. But you know what I do care for? People. They're what's worth livin' and dyin' for. It's them you're trying to get rid of for your perfect world, and that's something I can't agree with. Those who are left? They've got enough to fix the world the way it is, and guess what, they don't need your perfection to do it.

"So, say your prayers, Toll, Louise, 'cause this really is the last mission we're ever gonna have together. I'll see you in hell in the meantime."

"No! No!" Toll shouted, finally losing all composure in the face of his ultimate demise. Nanu laughed loudly, maniacally, over him, but not enough to silence his next, final words. "No, Deirdr-"

Serena stepped forward.

Matori threw another knife.

Alastair began to stand.

Alpha Squad and all those around them looked on.

A large beam struck from the middle of the stadium, aiming right upwards and leaving a great hole in the floor.

Then, the explosion ripped outwards, shaking the stadium to the point that Serena and Clemont were both pitched forward, the knife sailing overhead. Four shapes dropped from the sky, one of them kicking into Matori and sending her tumbling forward, as a larger shape seemed to plummet and impact loudly just outside the structure they were all battling in. That was enough for Serena to grab on to Clemont, pulling him forward as Alastair began to run.

"Braixen, after him!" Serena shouted, looking over to the site of the explosion and widening her eyes. The entire stadium had been blasted apart, or at least one side of it, almost nothing left but the crumbling skeleton of what used to be stairs. In this case, nothing else was left either. Nanu, Toll, Louise, Persian and Beedrill were all gone, scattered into ashes, with the explosion having claimed all but Camerupt, no longer stirring as it slammed to the ground. Cheers rose up, even as Kahili shook her head at Nanu's crazy sacrifice and Acerola fell to her knees in shock. Either way, it bought them the time they needed.

"Braixen!" Braixen shouted and she sent a Hidden Power hurtling out. Serena took hold of Clemont's hand and they began to skip down the steps, looking upwards to see that Team Rocket had been the descenders, now grabbing hold of Matori with a Leech Seed from Gourgeist. Jessie smirked and held a thumbs up to Serena, urging her onwards. That pushed her forward until she reached the edge of the stands. The silver orbs slammed into Alastair, nearly tripping him up, but he didn't stop running, though Serena heard him mutter.

"Toll…Louise…we'll finish your will. Let it be reborn in our perfect world."

"We won't let that happen!" Clemont shouted, he and Serena reaching the edge, and pitching themselves over to tumble into the stadium as yet another Hyper Beam ripped through the surface. The battle wasn't over yet, and they knew it. "We'll stop you, because we don't want your perfection or a new world. And we won't lose anyone else along the way!"

"Bring it on!" Serena shouted. Gengar materialized as Alastair stopped running, snarling at them. Then all six ran at each other as Ho-oh's screeches of pain and control continued to fill the air.

* * *

"Aerial Ace, Greninja, let's go!" Ash shouted, running once more at Deirdre. Altaria finished transforming, the glow exuding from its body as it emerged, swathed in even more voluminous clouds of cotton around its body. Greninja blitzed forward, as well. The two were about to reach their targets at the same time, though Ash was there first, snapping his leg out. This time, he moved faster than the woman could anticipate, snapping it into her side.

"Hyper Beam, sweetheart!" Deirdre called. She had dropped the smile, now, her own leg moving outwards, courtesy of Marshadow. Altaria's voice rang out, beautiful to the ear, but deadly, and then it fired the Hyper Beam. However, it wasn't dark like before, but made of pink sparkles that cut through the ground, leaving a great chasm. Greninja dodged to the side, and whipped his leg upwards. Ash did the same, forcing Deirdre to break off and step back. His Pokémon's attack found its mark, slamming Altaria on its belly with the attack.

"Iron Tail!" Ash yelled, bringing his leg back to whip around and throw his elbow forward. Deirdre charged in and their bodies locked in place. Pikachu bounded into the air, tail shining brightly.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash grimaced as Altaria shot forward, its large cloud plumage ruffling as it did so. Its beak opened, shooting out a massive, writhing dragon that arched through the air and chomped upon Pikachu, bringing him down to the ground with an explosion and a cry. Deirdre hit upwards and elbowed Ash in the stomach. He didn't let that deter him from sweeping his leg and causing her to stumble. His eyes flashed, and he felt Greninja get into the air behind Altaria.

"Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled, Greninja's cry answering. They both reached behind themselves to grab the giant shuriken. However, while Greninja tossed his, letting it collide with Altaria's back, Ash brought his arms swinging around to knock into Deirdre's head. She pitched to the side, but righted herself in moments before leaping forward with a kick. "Quick Attack!"

"Sky Attack!" the woman countered. Her leg moved extraordinarily fast, making contact with Ash's chest and sending him flying backwards, onto his behind. Altaria glowed golden, seeming almost giant in the darkness and faint rainbow light of the meteonite. It soared forth, making a beeline for Pikachu, whose own body was glowing white as he ran.

"Pika pika pika…" Pikachu huffed out. Then he leapt forward into the air, making contact with Altaria. The two strained, a golden shockwave rippling out as Ash flipped himself up. Deirdre was already running, her fists bared to make a beatdown upon him. Pikachu looked to Ash, and he grinned, nodding. In seconds, Pikachu took action. "...CHUUUUUUUUUU!"

The Thunderbolt consumed Altaria's figure, causing its cotton to spark, and Ash's hair went on end from the static in the air. Greninja landed, running forward, and Ash crossed his arms while Deirdre came at him. At the sides of the room, Gladion and Guzma looked to be trying to sit up, watching him fight as numerous blasts and explosions sounded out from above. Greninja clasped at his side, bringing out his sharp, watery kunai. Deirdre reached him, punching out, as she called her command. "Hyper Beam!"

"Cut!" Ash called in return. Altaria's voice shouted outwards, whirling away from Pikachu and aiming for Greninja, the pink blaze of Hyper Beam shooting outwards with great force. Ash and Greninja both braced themselves as the blast shuddered through their bodies. Deirdre's fists reached Ash's arms, battering against them quickly, Marshadow clearly giving his all in supporting Deirdre's blows. Greninja hunkered down, fighting against the blast of Hyper Beam consuming him.

"Greeeeeeenin!" Greninja croaked out, and with a powerful slash, he rent the beam apart, fractals of light splitting apart from where the beam was. Ash split his arms, knocking away Deirdre's fists before throwing his own upwards, slamming into her stomach. One of her free fists sailed outwards and nailed him on the face.

"Iron Tail!"

"Chuuuu pika!" Pikachu yelled, whipping his glowing tail upwards. This time, he found his mark on Altaria's exposed stomach, its clouds jiggling a bit. Greninja was on the move, populating the area with his doubles.

"Aerial Ace!" All the Greninja nodded, each making a straight beeline for Altaria, their fists glowing. Ash charged forward, but Deirdre shot her arms out to lock with his, holding him in place with a snarl.

"Draco Meteor!" Deirdre called. Ash continued to push against her, but the shadow wouldn't budge whatsoever. Marshadow was holding steady, not allowing Deirdre to lose. Meanwhile, Altaria rose into the air. "I have to admit, you're very strong. I never expected you to-"

"Shut up!" Ash shouted. He lifted his arm up and broke free. He punched forward, but now the shadow gave way, causing his strike to miss.

"Altaaaaaaaaar!" Altaria cried as its whole cloud plumage glowed orange and sent the meteors flying from its back. They rained outwards, falling upon the ground, even aiming for Ash, himself. He broke off. Pikachu raced along with a Quick Attack, not needing the order to avoid the blow that was coming for him. Greninja's copies began to vanish, and before they knew it, one of the hurtling projectiles struck the amphibian on the chest.

"Gah!" Ash shouted, feeling the burning blow on his own chest before one of the meteors struck him as well, making Greninja cry out in further pain. He was thrown back, slamming into a wall. Deirdre was running along. "E-Electro Ball!"

"Chu pi!" Pikachu shouted, the orb of electricity forming at the end of his tail. Having avoided the last of the meteors, he flung the orb upwards. It once more made contact with the cloud, sparks absorbed within it. Ash's mind, fighting through the pain, could already see a strategy forming, but there was no time to enact it, not with Deirdre upon him, raising her leg up to stomp down on him. He rolled away.

"Hyper Beam!"

"Deflect it with your shuriken!" Ash roared out. He rolled back on to his feet, holding his hands forth like a shield. Greninja did the same, clutching to his giant liquid blade, just as Altaria fired upon him. The pink-tinged beam slammed outwards, churning up the ground on its path to Greninja, catching Pikachu in its wake and tossing him backwards. Deirdre made her assault by beating into Ash's arms, but he didn't give in.

"Niiiiiin…" Greninja cried, holding the shuriken up as the Hyper Beam crashed into it. He held on, battling against the super-effective attack. Then, he turned the shuriken and the beam shot upwards instead, breaking through the floor of the stadium that was above their heads. Stones scattered all around them, raining down upon their heads. The attack finished, Ash moved his arms, as if to throw the shuriken, and Greninja copied him. His arms came around and caught Deirdre on the side, now causing her to slam into the wall.

"Troublesome, aren't you?" the auburn-haired woman spoke as the Water Shuriken made contact with Altaria. Her voice was filled with glee. "Sky Attack!"

"Riia!" Altaria chirped out. Its body blazed with golden light and it shot forward. Before either Ash or Greninja knew it, the Ninja Pokémon was struck by the attack. Ash's eyes widened, feeling the pain flit through his body. Deirdre reached him, making a fierce uppercut to Ash's jaw. His head snapped back, flinching from the pain as he moved backwards.

"Double Team! Pikachu, your turn!" Ash shouted, moving his jaw to ensure there was no lasting damage. Greninja, recovering from the strike on himself, began to spread his copies around the hallway. Near to one of them, the real one, was Pikachu, who leapt into Greninja's arms. The frog whirled around, and Ash did the same as Deirdre kicked out at him, causing her to miss. Pikachu was flung into the air. "Iron Tail, to the ground!"

"Chuuuuu pika!" Pikachu cried, getting into the air above Altaria. He spun, tail shining brightly, especially in the darkness, before he brought that tail slashing down. It collided with Altaria's head, and carried it right to the floor, breaking apart the stones there with a grin.

"Hyper Beam on all of them!" Deirdre commanded. Altaria's head raised from the ground, the sparks still contained in its large cloud plumage. It cried out, and the pink beam blasted forth. Pikachu ducked, rolling under the attack.

"Converge in with Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted, swinging his fist outwards. All the Greninja copies moved inward. Altaria whipped its head around, the Hyper Beam flying all over the place. Some of the copies were hit by it, vanishing, and the walls were cut away by the fierce attack, making the whole hallway shudder horribly. However, Greninja reached his mark, and with a great glowing fist, punched onto Altaria's head yet again. The Hyper Beam then found its mark. Greninja flew back while Ash grimaced, his own punch interrupted.

"How fortunate!" Deirdre said with glee, her fist snapping outwards and hitting Ash on the nose. He felt blood trickle forth from it, though he just sniffed in, eliminating the issue. "I have to admit, I haven't felt my blood racing this much in a while. Not since Marshadow helped me to slaughter the ones that took my legs and Alastair's eye. No doubt a personal grudge as well, but we were all in that hellhole together because of him. Either way, thank you."

"I don't want your thanks," Ash shouted, planting his foot on the ground with a snarl on his lips. "If that's what you think is exhilarating, then I don't even want to look at you, and knowing a Pokémon would help you do that willingly sickens me."

"Oh? Surely your Pikachu would always remain loyal to you, even if you went to the darkness, right?" Deirdre spoke, the smirk once more appearing on her face. It just made Ash scowl all the more. "Marshadow and Altaria are loyal friends. They know my pain and my purpose, and are willing to drive for perfection; for a world where all is right again, as it should be. Dragon Pulse!"

"Yeah? Well, there's the big difference," Ash said. Greninja and Pikachu landed next to each other, nodding, while Ash could feel their fighting spirit infusing his own. He raised a fist up. Altaria screeched into the air, and from its beam emerged a multi-headed hydra of a Dragon Pulse, snapping and writhing as it made itself fly into the air. "My Pokémon and friends are loyal, but if I ever lost my way, they'd bring me right back. Letting your trainer go down the path of darkness is no different than betraying the ones you care about most. It's no different than a trainer that leaves his Pokémon on the side of the road to die! And that's something I'd never allow! Cut!"

"Ninja!" Greninja shouted. The hydra slammed down upon them all, and Greninja sliced forward, his kunai slashing outwards. Almost with a piercing scream, all seven heads of the Dragon Pulse were sliced off, exploding around the area as Greninja and Pikachu dashed into the smoke.

"Pikachu, hit Altaria's back with as many Electro Balls as you can! Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted. Deirdre was already upon him as he whipped his fist outwards, knocking hers away and jabbing upwards, striking her chest. She grimaced, but her hands whipped out to grab his arm and throw him. His back hit the wall, and he cried out, but didn't let himself fall.

"Pika pika pika pika chu pi! Chu pi! Chu pi!" Pikachu cried, skidding along the ground as the electric orbs formed at his tail and fired upwards. Bit by bit, each Electro Ball made contact with the large cloud on Altaria's back, looking like a buzzing hive of electricity now. Greninja tossed his shuriken, ignoring the pain from previous attacks, to have it slam into Altaria's chest.

"Now, from above! Aerial Ace, Iron Tail!"

"Draco Mete-" Ash didn't let her finish her sentence. From his placement on the wall, his leg flew forward, hitting against her face. There was a brief moment where she was held in place, shocked, and then she was flung to the side, bouncing along the ground. Ash dropped his leg, while Greninja and Pikachu got above the Humming Pokémon. It was already glowing orange, but the other two were simply too fast, their fist and tail sailing straight down upon Altaria's head, knocking it once more into the ground, the Pokémon bouncing along to be near its trainer.

"Yeah, come on, Ash!" Guzma roared. Gladion groaned, each of them clearly recovering from the devastating battle earlier. Seamus looked up.

"End this!" he roared. Ash raised his wrists up and crossed them, while Deirdre stood, shaking her head with a scowl. She roared something else out, sounding like another command for a Hyper Beam. Altaria rose its head from the ground, pointing straight out at them.

"Deirdre, you may have faced pain, but your way is never the answer!" Ash shouted, uncrossing them alongside Greninja. "You live for hope, not inflicting despair on others!  _That's_  how we build the future! People and Pokémon working together to enrich people's lives, like me, and Pikachu, and Greninja and all my friends. It's for them that we're finishing you together! Scorching Shuriken!"

"Niiiiiiiiiiiinja!" Ash and Greninja's hands flung outwards, while whirling discs of fire appeared at Greninja's hands before they brought them up into one giant shuriken. Then, with a tremendous heave, they fired the blast of scorching water. Guzma could be heard chuckling, as though he remembered it. It sailed forward as the Hyper Beam blasted into it. However, it didn't stop, merely reflecting the Hyper Beam up through the surface of the ceiling yet again while the whole floor shook. The shuriken continued whirring along, slicing up the walls with great force before finally reaching its target. Ash smirked.

The fiery shuriken made contact with all of the buzzing electricity surrounding Altaria's figure, just as intended. There was a brief moment of silence, punctuated only by the trickling rubble. Then the air exploded, the heatwave pushing Ash backwards a little while Greninja and Pikachu held on to the ground tightly. The column of scorching water blasted upwards, consuming the air and driving through to the stadium above. Ash just waited until the rumbling finished, his hair fluttering in the breeze of the attack as he waited.

Finally, the smoke seemed to clear, and Altaria was fallen, its Mega Evolved form fading away.

Deirdre, however, was still standing. She looked a little roughed up, but was striding forward, as if it didn't matter. It wasn't like her illusory form, but it certainly hadn't been a preferable state regarding her. Ash grimaced.

"That…was quite a Z-Move," she spoke, almost chuckling with every single syllable spoken. Her hands lifted up and began to clap together. More rubble caved in from chunks of the ceiling breaking away, bouncing off the meteonite behind them all harmlessly. The sunset sky was now pouring in, illuminating all of their figures and the carnage that had taken place down below. Ash looked up for a second, eyes widening at what was just above the clouds: Ho-oh. There were also the sounds of a battle going on close by. "Ash Ketchum, the great Kalos and Alolan Hero! The man with two Z-Moves never before seen! I see why the younger generation was so obsessed with you. Hell, you even got  _my_  fire burning brighter for a few moments. I can appreciate that. It's why I knew choosing you was a risky gamble, but the best shot I had to hit two things at once in the best way possible.

"You see, Ash, there is no living in this world for me or Marshadow. There is no hope. We're both just captives. For but a moment, we can help each other to walk, and be more, but only for a moment. But in a perfect world, everything will be made right. Marshadow will be free to live happily. Michael's plans will have amounted to nothing…and I can walk again."

"You can still walk now! Just get up and move forward!" Ash shouted, flinging his arm out. Deirdre stopped, right beneath a beam of the sunset filtering in. She looked to him, and Ash could see everything written there on her face: the rage, the pain, the sadness, the resignation. She truly believed this to be the only way forward. There was a blaze of fire up above.

"No. None of us can. But soon, we will. Alastair!"

"Deirdre!" Ash shouted, and he and his Pokémon ran right for the woman. She snapped her look to them, and Marshadow popped out, his threaded shadows spreading outwards to lock all of them in place. Ash's body seized up, unable to move with the familiar feeling spreading through his limbs, his theory confirmed. The only thing he found himself able to move was his head, looking up.

A blaze of electricity followed, and Ash could see the form of Luxray attacking something, like another wisp of shadow. Then a different form leapt down, onto a plinth of stone, and Ash's eyes widened, seeing Alastair standing there, gripping to a large feather from Ho-oh's body. Without a single look to him, the man dropped the feather.

"Braixen!" Ash could hear Serena shouting, and a rocketing flame flashed outwards, which Alastair moved to avoid. There were footsteps overhead, as though Serena and Clemont were aiming for the second-in-command of IDEAL. Ash could briefly see his wife above, nearly avoiding a slash from Alastair, as the man attempted to gain distance. However, right in front of him, Deirdre grabbed hold of the feather, brimming with a rainbow brilliance as flecks of flame surrounded her clasped hand. It was mesmerizing…yet dooming. Deirdre smiled.

"But you know…even though I cannot walk much, or for long, and my time is almost up…there is  _one_  thing I can do," Deirdre spoke, tucking the feather into her breast pocket, not a single blemish or imperfection upon it. She raised her wrists and crossed them, a ghostly chill coming from the Z-Ring upon her wrist with a smirk. "I can show you  _my_  Z-Move."

" _Your_  Z-Move?" Gladion coughed out, and it became obvious to Ash that none of them could move much either. Her arms uncrossed, raising themselves in the ghostly fashion that Ash was all too familiar with when it came to Decidueye. Her smile reached full bloom as she spread them apart. Z-Power filled the air, lighting up the shadow behind her, and even her body, itself.

"Marshadow's rather unique. You fight as one with your Greninja, do you not?" Deirdre questioned. She vanished, reappearing like a wisp of a shadow right before Ash's immobilized body. "Well, so do we."

Then she punched outward. The force hit Ash, making him feel his bones cracking. Then came another, well-placed strike, forcing his arm to be useless. Then another on his leg, snapping the bone in two. It was far more powerful than anything Ash had felt before, supported by Marshadow's strength. Two more were placed to his chest, while another struck his head. Six strikes in all. Marshadow let his body go, and he began to crumple.

"Ahhh ah…" he gasped out, the pain fully radiating down his body. Greninja was reacting, too, feeling the pain right alongside him. Pikachu was whipping around worriedly, before sending a searing Thunderbolt out for the shadows. It scorched along the ground, but did nothing as the shadow coiled up, jumping into the air, and aiming for a final strike with Deirdre's leg.

"No! Stop it!" Guzma roared out. He could move now, it seemed, but his body held little strength. "He's your boy Guzma's to beat! You leave him alone!"

"Soul-Stealing Seven-Star Strike!" Deirdre cried, and with that final show of force, impacted with Ash's chest. He froze a moment, eyes wide with pain. Greninja gagged, and then slumped forward, his form fading away. Then Ash was chucked backwards, flying through the air until he slammed upon the meteonite, feeling its red-hot energy beneath him. The paling around it seemed to fall from the strike, but it hardly mattered. Ash collapsed, rolling to the ground as he heaved, feeling wounds open up around his entire body. Once more, Gladion, Guzma and Seamus froze, while Deirdre stalked forward, untucking the still shining feather, resonating with Ho-oh's power.

"To be honest, as long as the Alpha and Omega were one, we could have used its properties to start restoring the world to what we wanted from the very beginning. The big reset, as it were," Deirdre explained as she approached. Ash coughed, spitting some blood out from the immense damage he'd taken. "However, that's not very perfect, is it? Things went wrong with this world, so why would we want to make it just to go wrong again? No, we decided on a longer but ultimately more efficient plan. One that will take time once the process has begun, but will create perfection for everyone."

"What…are you…?" Ash couldn't finish the sentence, though it hardly mattered, Deirdre reached him, and pulled him up by the hair, touching the feather to the blood that was coming from him. It shined, reacting all the more with the colors of the rainbow, the fire almost burning around it, like it was indicative of the roiling rage inside of Deirdre.

"Your blood, Ash. We needed your blood," Deirdre explained. She stood, looking at the meteonite, while Marshadow emerged behind her. "You see, like your friend Bonnie had a connection with Zygarde, or Lillie with that Solgaleo in the Ultra Space, you had a connection with Ho-oh. The blood of many was used to draw it here, to activate the Omega again. It's just the same as how all of the blood shed at the points directed energy to this one place. In the end, its powers joined with the Alpha, the beginning and ending of this world. However, because  _that_  blood is merely the indication of all breaking down, we needed  _your_  blood, combined with Ho-oh's 'blood', its feather, to convince it that all this is coming to an end. To pull out its true power, just like Zygarde and Solgaleo so long ago. Almost like an anchor, and a remote control.

"Well, really, we just needed the meteonite for its world altering properties and Ho-oh's feather to restore those ties. Your blood is the trigger to bring out the full power under our command, regardless of our little machines, and only those that reacted to Ho-oh today would have been good enough."

"Ties…?" Gladion choked out. "You don't mean…" Deirdre's smirk stretched wider.

"Yes. I. Do," was the response. "What if, in another world, I didn't lose my legs. Or your father didn't die. What if we could join all the universes, once separated, now whole, together. Pick and choose the best parts, and cull the worst. A long process, and one IDEAL has chosen to oversee, but in the end, the result: a perfect world. All we needed was the trigger to open those portals once again."

"And then what? All that would do is put us right back where we were!" Seamus roared, straining against the shadows that bound him. Deirdre looked at him and smiled, swiftly giving a rather disdainful look to Merry, splayed across the ground.

"That's what Marshadow is for."

Then Deirdre plunged the blood-crusted feather towards the meteonite, not wasting a second more. It touched to it, and after a brief second, light burst outwards. It wasn't the same rainbow light, but the green that Ash remembered from so long ago. The ground glowed with it, as well, and Marshadow flitted out of the shadows, aiming for the meteonite itself. Deirdre fell, but no one there had the strength to move or stop it. She just began to laugh.

"Aha! Aha! Ahahahaha! Just wait and see, boys! Perfection! The ideal world!" Deirdre cried, her eyes widening with madness from her prone position. In her hands, swirling with controlled power, the feather glowed all the brighter. The ground began to rumble and shake, and Ash could see the walls start to disintegrate, and even the ceiling above. Ripples appeared in the now darkening sky outside, leaving nothing but night behind. However, the stars were fading, being replaced with larger portals, created by beams that were firing from the meteonite and the ground. Flames sprouted from the air, reviving the once dead connections.

"No…"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, dashing over to Ash and resting up against him. Screams were heard outside at the sight in the skies, and Deirdre kept laughing, even as her legs were bent at disturbing angles.

"Pikachu…stop…Mar…sha…" Ash couldn't get it out, his strength failing him from the pain erupting around his body. Deirdre looked at him, offering a sad smile.

"Don't worry…You'll be just fine. I want you for the new world, Ash, and killing you would make all this useless," the woman spoke. Ash's vision was fading, his fingers twitching, and all he could do was continue to stare as the shadowy threads erupted from the meteonite. They tied into the ground, as if pulling up the energy from there, before then shooting for the portals in the sky. "Marshadow will just tie all the universes together, just as the Alpha and Omega had intended long ago, all for us to pick and choose. Realities will blend. Universes will mix and mingle, tying together as one;  _intersecting_. This world will break down in the meantime, more or less, but it'll turn out all right in the end."

"Chuuu!" Pikachu cried, disagreeing as he sent a Thunderbolt for the meteonite. It did nothing. The shadows attached to the rippling portals, and with a tremendous yank, they seemed to all come falling down, pulling in to that one point that was the meteonite. The feather, and Ho-oh above, shined more brilliantly, consuming the space with a cleansing fire. Ash reached forward, right for Pikachu, and touched to his partner, barely holding on to his strength.

The portals and the shadows touched, and bright light shined outwards, while Deirdre remained holding to the feather. She held it high, resonating with the meteonite…no, the Alpha, and the Omega below them.

"Come to us! Our new world! This is the end of everything! And the beginning of all!" she shouted. Then, as if she was controlling the whole process herself, the light ruptured from the feather, ripping outward. Ash felt his consciousness fading, slipping away, as though being dragged into a void that was opening beneath him. Cries were echoing in his brain from the feather, and the space beyond, like so many voices were being consumed by the darkness, tying together, just as she'd said.

"Yo! The hell you doin'? !" Guzma cried, as though being sucked in, himself. Even Gladion was struggling against it all. "Lemme go!"

"No…You'll simply sleep, until it is time. Sleep in the shadows of the Alpha's eclipse," Deirdre spoke. The walls continued to disintegrate, and all Ash could see, before he was sucked in with Pikachu entirely, was the shape of Alastair leaping down, a hand scrabbling and grabbing for his flapping trench coat. All he could hear was Deirdre's voice. "I hope we'll meet again, Ash, in the new world. I hope then, you'll understand why this was our only hope. Goodbye."

Then Ash was sucked into the rift, and the world as he knew it, was eclipsed with a disintegrating light.

IDEAL had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: How's that for a cliffhanger? The bad guys won. I hope the explanation for what was needed wasn't too confusing. To simplify: they wanted Ho-oh to restore the ties that were broken in Tribulations, and since the Alpha and the Omega caused them in the first place, they needed to use them both and activate it. Ash's blood was the trigger, because he was so tied with Ho-oh, to bring out Ho-oh's true power. Then Marshadow stitched the universes together with its shadows and combined them all, which caused everyone but IDEAL to be dragged into the rift.
> 
> However! This is not the end of the story! Oh, no! What will happen now that they've won? That's something you'll just have to figure out and see next time. I think it'll be a most exciting and stunning conclusion for you all! Or, I hope so.
> 
> The climax has nearly reached its end, and I hope you'll see the road through with me. Until that time comes, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	24. A Reminder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in a very Fullmetal Alchemist mood when I wrote this chapter. To that end, there's a certain part here (the fourth section), that more or less goes with the song "Envy Revealed" and after a certain speech is taken over by the opening "Rain" by SID. Trust me, it sets the mood. Time for Chapter 24!

Chapter 24

A Reminder

"IT'S OVER!" boomed the voice across the stadium. The rising cheer of the crowd split the night sky, and the general enthusiasm skyrocketed. Ash felt himself coming to grin, despite how exhausted he was, slight aching settling into his bones. He was pretty sure the screams could be heard all the way into the city with how excited the crowd was. "The winner of this year's Kalos Team Tournament is TEAM KETCHUM!"

"Yes! Great job, Ash!" he could hear May's voice crying out over the surging crowd. Following her pleasant voice was Dawn's.

"I told you, May! No need to worry!" He had to let out a laugh at that, seeing the two Coordinators up above in the stands, embracing each other with happiness. Ash just let out a breath, looking to his teammates. They all looked exhausted from the day's activities, as well, but there were jubilant smiles upon their faces, showing that they were still willing to partake in all of the celebrations.

"Great job, Serena! You won!" Shauna was crying out, leaping onto the field for her best friend and rival. Ash had to smile at that, even though Tierno danced over seconds later to flirt with the girl. To that, Ash's hand twitched, as though recalling the feeling of her hand in his. It had been a nice feeling, and one he couldn't shake. For a moment, he felt like he'd done it many times before.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, and Ash turned with a grin towards his best partner, leaping through the air. Ash laughed and caught Pikachu, while the rest of his rambunctious teammates moved to join him. Noibat took the longest, but Hawlucha was right at his side, and when they had all reached Ash's location, Hawlucha jumped in with great glee.

"Hachacha!" Hawlucha cheered, pumping his fist before gliding in for a hug. Talonflame was there, too, crying loudly with spread wings. Before Ash knew it, even Greninja had leapt on to their pile, each of them laughing. Gary seemed to find the sight rather funny, himself, laughing heartily in the moment.

"Yeah, guys! We won! And it was all thanks to you helping our whole team through the tournament! You're all awesome!" Ash proclaimed, reaching his hand upwards with a fist. They all did the same, suddenly tumbling off of Ash's figure and onto the stadium floor with their loud and boisterous cheers. Yet even with how loud they all were, it was still lost in the overall jubilation.

"You did a great job, Ash," called the voice of Brock, the breeder-turned-doctor extending a hand to Ash. He grinned at his best friend and reached up, clasping it and allowing himself to be pulled up, Pikachu clinging cheerily to his shoulder. "That Greninja of yours is really something else. And Pikachu, of course."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, raising a paw into the air. Brock reached out with a smile, petting the small electric mouse on the head. Brock soon retracted his hands and shoved them into his pockets.

"You've come a long way since we battled at the Pewter Gym, and I couldn't be prouder," the doctor said. "A strong trainer and a leader, someone who inspires others. I'm glad to have known you, Ash."

"Hey, I couldn't have done any of that without all of you!" Ash insisted, his eyes flicking over to Clemont, speaking with his sister and Conway, to his immense surprise. What caught his eyes most of all, however, was Serena, walking over to talk with the defeated Seamus and just speaking calmly with him. He seemed sullen, and disbelieving, but still she spoke with him.

In Ash's eyes, she was that burst of color in a world of black and white that he'd asked Dawn about. She'd just laughed at it, teasing him about it, but Ash still hadn't been able to figure out what it was that was going on inside of him. Brock, however, seemed to know, because he nudged Ash a little, causing the boy to look at him.

"She's someone special, too," Brock told him, his narrowed eyes smiling at Ash. The raven-haired trainer tilted his head, trying to make out what he was trying to say to him. Then, Brock's hand came out and clapped him on the back, pushing him towards Serena with a grin. "I might not have found my perfect someone, even if I'd like some more time with Aria, but without her encouraging you, I wonder where you'd be."

"She…she said she wanted to tell me something," Ash said. Pikachu cocked his head to the side, looking a little confused, but still smiling with the jubilation of victory. Brock gave him another push forward.

"Then listen to her!" he laughed out. One more push was given, and Ash stumbled forward as Kalas' voice rang out across the stadium to address everyone there.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's get our combatants some food and drink. If you'll join me in the reception hall of Ancien Castle!" That seemed to get a very positive response, and Ash finished approaching Serena, who was still looking at Seamus and his Alakazam.

"Serena," he spoke, and the girl whipped around. Her honey blonde hair framed her beautiful blue eyes along with such a brilliant smile that it drew one straight out of him. "You…said you wanted to tell me something, when it was over?"

Her eyes seemed to light up, hand flying up to the familiar blue ribbon on her chest, and she stepped forward. Ash swallowed, feeling as breathless as the girl that was about to speak to him. Then she opened her mouth, and he listened. "Ash, I…I'm…

"I don't…quite know how to put it, Ash, but seeing you battling, inspiring me and others, it makes my heart about to burst." Ash tilted his head now, not quite understanding what she wanted to say to him. However, it didn't take all that long for him to finally understand the meaning, because Serena spoke and acted. "I love you, Ash Ketchum. I've loved you for a while now, and I promised I would tell you what I needed to. It's okay if you don't accept my feelings, but I…I love  _you_."

Then Serena stepped forward, and before Ash knew it, she'd kissed him. He was shocked, eyes blinking, while a blush spread over Pikachu's face and his ears curled in. He wasn't the only one, but Ash could only stand there as Serena drew back, blushing madly and looking positively mortified. However, he could only stand there in complete awe of her actions, watching her. Now it made a lot more sense. Clarity was entering his mind as he understood what had been burgeoning inside him the last few days…no, the last few months, since he'd asked her to journey with him.

"Well…uh…" he stammered out, unable to figure out quite how to answer. She seemed to cast her eyes downward, looking nervous as her hands went behind her back. He found it a little cute, but he didn't like her looking so scared, so his hands came out and grabbed to her own. That made him look into her eyes as she lifted her head. "I like you, too. In a weird way. Not like you're weird, or anything like that. It's…hmmm…"

"Pikapi…" Pikachu chastised him with a shaking head, but he could only laugh with that.

"I mean like, more than a friend way, if that makes any sense," Ash said, still chuckling out. Serena seemed to look less nervous now. "Uh…if that's love…I don't know…"

"It's…a step," Serena responded. She now was smiling again, and Ash had to admit that he liked that. Like he'd seen it for his whole life together with her. He gripped her hands tighter and stepped closer, while her face continued to heat up.

"Well, maybe we can take that kind of step together?" His question was truly heartfelt, and she seemed to notice that. She tiptoed up one more time, filled with as much bravery as she'd shown during the tournament, and kissed him one more time. This time, it made a lot more sense, and as she came back down, she nodded, keeping her hand clasped in his.

"I'd like that." Ash kept smiling and, holding his hand in hers, the two turned towards their rather flabbergasted friends. They walked forward, but for a moment, Ash stopped, and he looked back.

Something felt…wrong.

He stayed there, staring into the crowd of trainers that had gathered in the stadium, and thought, for just a second, that he could see the smoky, shadowy form of a girl wearing a smirk, as though taunting him. Her hand seemed to be outstretched, as if waiting for him to take it and pull him forward. His own hand slackened around Serena's. He knew her. He knew that girl, but she seemed to vanish with a breeze.

Who was she? His heart started to hurt, as though a piece of him had been indelibly ripped away, but he just didn't realize yet. What had culminated in a perfect day for him, now felt so wholly incomplete. Something was missing, and he had to wonder if it all had to do with that girl who wasn't there.  _Pain…why is there pain…?_

"Ash?" Serena's voice called him back, and he looked to the girl that had confessed to him. He'd like to think she was his girlfriend, if what Misty had blabbered on about back in the day made any sense. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no, it was just…" Ash took one look back, the girl having vanished entirely. He still felt like there was something missing, strange as it was, but he pushed that away to turn to his girlfriend with an ever-brilliant smile. "Everything's just fine. It's perfect."

* * *

The sky was dark.

The air was silent.

It was a void in which nothing existed.

Or almost nothing.

Large, black orbs surrounded the space, spread out like ominous gravestones that seemed to cover all. Yet, despite that, they also seemed clear, like one could peer deep into its depths and catch sight of what was swirling inside its portents. They were even illuminated as such by the glowing bird high above, held thrall inside the rift that contained those orbs. The only thing left of any true physical substance was the stadium, itself, multiple pieces of it crumbled away, leaving only the remaining stands, also covered in stone and debris. Even the floor itself, though, was cracked and crumbled inward, much of its space disintegrated.

One of the bubbles pulsed, and Deirdre looked up. Above her head, the meteonite yet shined, and the shadow that had knitted all the universes together with it, each one represented by the globes that were visibly hanging about the space high in the sky, shot out to materialize in front of her. She smiled at the little one, reaching out to pat him on the head.

"Very good job, Marshadow," she spoke softly. He seemed to like it, his head swaying back and forth. Seeing that, and being proud of the little one, she gripped to the feather in her hand, thinking about the one who had made it possible. It burned with fire; a fire only she could control, matched with the one held in stasis above. The orb in front of her shined a little, as though altering something in a small way. Perhaps a match he might have thought he'd win. "Just a little longer, I suppose."

"Deirdre," called the calm voice of her closest confidant. She turned on the ground to see that Alastair was there, a small pile of rubble below, broken in from the stadium like stairs to the top. He looked fairly roughed up, as though he'd been through quite a bit more troublesome fighting than she would have expected of him. Still, he walked forward, hands in his pockets. His Gengar was still with him, not seeming to be Mega Evolved, while Aegislash was at his side. "It succeeded?"

"Yes," was her answer, smiling a bit. She leaned back, looking to her broken legs. Marshadow seemed concerned, wanting to dive back into her shadow, but she shook her head, patting him on the head. It wouldn't take too long yet. "Each universe is tied to the meteonite, which is tied to here. All that's left is making full use of Ho-oh's power to restore the world."

"Certainly seems broken down enough," Alastair commented, glancing around the space. Deirdre couldn't disagree. The stands were cracked and ruined, with stones having fallen everywhere. In the dark nothingness of the space that they were all standing in, or in her case, sitting, nothing much else could be seen, save for the golden glow of Ho-oh above, still held in thrall by Gengar and the device. Along with them in the still intact hall were five black orbs that were closest to them, each containing someone (or some Pokémon) in their perfect sleep. The sky and space beyond the stadium was naught but a swirling mass of dark, spatial energy. "At least we were smart enough to preserve the stadium as a staging ground."

"It couldn't be helped," was Deirdre's response to that particular observation. "The Omega is the last remnant of the old world, and thus, the base for the new one. Once we've finished parsing through what should be kept and what should be culled, choosing the best path for perfection, we can remake this space as needed."

"So long as Ho-oh's power holds out." Deirdre scoffed at that one. Alastair chuckled a little and shook his head, like he shouldn't have bothered to say anything in the first place. Of  _course,_  Ho-oh would be able to hold out for as long as necessary, especially with Ash's blood used. So long as he remained tied to that perfection, either one of the two beings, they would be just fine for holding the power to remake the world as needed. And even so, Ho-oh would easily be born again in the new world. Deirdre breathed out, and could already feel a sense of simple life flowing into their new world. Pieces beyond the stadium were beginning to be built upwards.

"I'm glad I was able to pull you in, Alastair," Deirdre spoke, looking up to the man. He nodded, smiling softly at her prone form. Further down the hallway that still existed was Altaria, though her faithful Pokémon didn't seem to be getting up yet, remaining exhausted from its earlier tussle; clearly Ho-oh's power wasn't all encompassing, and she had to maintain it, besides. "The world would be very lonely without you. What of the others? I tried to focus on keeping them here rather than being sucked in to the void."

"Toll and Louise are dead," Alastair noted, his voice heavy with a sense of bereavement he was now allowing himself to feel. Deirdre closed her eyes, shaking her head with sadness. Knowing that was rather heartbreaking.

"That's unfortunate. I really wanted them to see the new world with us," she replied. Her legs twitched, and she looked to them, already noticing them beginning to untwist themselves. Her eyes brightened up and she looked to Alastair. "How did they die?"

"Nanu. Crazy bastard blew himself up with them," the man noted. Deirdre nodded her head and breathed outwards, blowing some of the dust up into the air. Little stars were starting to populate the void in the sky, showing that the base of the world was beginning to stitch itself back together. That was fine. "Ho-oh can't restore them? It is a phoenix, after all."

"No, sadly not. It would take too much power to do so, and that would just be a waste," Deirdre responded, shaking her head with a sense of sadness. Those two had been with her for so long: Toll with his zeal to make the new world, and Louise with taking care of her legs, and what remained of her life in the old world. Now, it was hard to believe that the two were gone. "We'd lose what little power we had, and no one out of this space could be restored, I'm afraid. Ho-oh isn't omnipotent. But at least they went down fighting an admirable foe. I can sing their praises for that."

"Indeed. The man gave  _me_  some trouble, after all," Alastair laughed out with a light bark. Deirdre, too, laughed with him, feeling rather light in their victory. Suddenly, Alastair offered a hand to her, while Marshadow continued looking on, hand at its mouth. "Surely, it's better now. Can you stand for me, Deirdre?"

"Yes, I think I can try," the auburn-haired woman said, and she reached up to clasp her hand in Alastair's. It felt warm from all of the battles, and she prepared herself for searing hot pain. However, as Alastair lifted her up, she found there was none of that. No pain. No lightness. No…nothingness. She could  _feel_  again. Better yet, she felt  _normal_  again. "Hah! Hahaha!"

"It worked?" Alastair asked once more, but this time it was a completely different topic. Deirdre took a tentative step forward, but found it easy to do so, her foot clamping down on to the dirt. Tears rose in her eyes. Alastair rose up, touching to his fake eye, and recoiled at the touch. "A new world…Perhaps I won't have to keep that promise after all."

"I can walk again!" Deirdre cried. She turned on her feet, almost twirling with a smile on her face, before facing the still glowing meteonite, and the orb that was clearly Ash's own dream world beneath it. Marshadow was also there, wearing a smile upon his own face.

"Mar mar mar mar!" he clapped out happily. She grinned to him and leaned down, patting the ghostly Gloomdweller Pokémon on the head.

"You must be feeling better, too, yes?" she asked of the little one, and he nodded. Indeed, his body looked more substantial, and of a less smoky quality. They still seemed tied together for a moment but, finally, Deirdre felt whole again. Everything Michael had done was finally for naught. They were righting it in one fell swoop. Without the slightest hesitation, Deirdre walked up to the shining orb with Ash inside and peered into it. The boy there was battling a Gym Leader, Wulfric, effortlessly defeating him. "They must be nice dreams."

"You think? It will be hard to pick out what will make the world the most perfect," Alastair noted, approaching her, himself. "Until then, you'll need to focus and keep the feather and meteonite safe. If the process is interrupted-"

"I know, Alastair. You're such a worrywart." He shrugged, as though it was in his job description to worry so much. Deirdre, however, exhaled, finally feeling like she could truly breathe again. "But I always appreciated that. It was that kind of bond that got me through our days in that horrible dungeon that Michael had manipulated us into, before Marshadow arrived. You helped me to keep on this path. It's been a long road, but at last, we've made it. Now, just a little more time. I suppose I should get to wor-"

_Cough!_

Deirdre's body froze a little, and she turned on her renewed feet, still held together by the space they were in, and the feather clasped to her side, her fist smoldering with its flames a little. More of Ancien City seemed to be rebuilding itself, but it was such a slow process that she paid it no mind. Instead, she and Alastair were looking towards the pile of rubble that he had come from. It was an unexpected sound, and not one Deirdre had thought they would hear at all. Not in this empty space where all but she and the rest of her comrades were meant to be. There was another cough that sounded out, and then the rubble suddenly moved, shifting and soon tumbling aside with a plume of dust. More coughing resulted, while both Deirdre and Alastair watched.

"The…future is now…" coughed out a male voice, straining as something seemed to be pushing aside the stones. It seemed to be a giant hand, holding tightly against a large stone. It was soon helped by two Pokémon, what looked like a Luxray and a Braixen.

"…thanks to…science," chuckled out an equally hacking female voice. Deirdre's eyes sharpened, a scowl now adorning her features. There was yet another crash, and finally, the figures in the middle of the dust stood upright, framed by the glow of the meteonite in that space. Deirdre glanced at it, making sure it was still holding steady and saw more of the stadium's stands crumble away onto what remained of the stadium floor, now easily accessible. "Thanks for that quick thinking after we were forced to let go of him. That rubble could have killed us!"

"Well, you know I'm always prepared for these kinds of situations." The Luxray barked, as if chastising his trainer, while Alastair stepped forward. The woman before them chuckled out.

"Right…now, where are we?"

"How are you here, is my question?" Alastair shouted out, and finally the dust began to fade away. Gengar swiveled back and forth, almost looking worried as the full forms were revealed. "I left you atop the stadium, Serena, Clemont. You and everyone but IDEAL were supposed to be absorbed inside the rift until the new world was fully formed."

"Fully…?" Clemont questioned. Serena looked to him with concern, and the inventor seemed to be thinking the whole situation out. Deirdre's lips twisted, feeling rather annoyed. This wasn't supposed to be possible. They had planned it out perfectly. Even Ash, the biggest thorn in their side, was taken out of commission, so how…? Clemont looked up, and then slammed a fist into his palm. "Oh, I get it!"

"Mind sharing, Clemont?" Serena asked. He turned to her, adjusting his glasses, but Deirdre felt all the more annoyed. They were so  _close_ , and now things had to be interrupted by such an issue. Alastair didn't seem to take kindly to it, either, walking forward slowly as Clemont seemed to explain the situation to Serena.

"Well, I mean, they're making a new world," Clemont explained to her. She nodded her head. "That can't be done in a second. Even Arceus had to spend time doing a lot of stuff. They must have taken everything to a safe space similar to Arceus' own realm in order for things to be held until they could finish the process."

"That doesn't explain how you're…" Alastair cut himself off, and Deirdre looked to her steadfast friend. Both Serena and Clemont faced forward, their top Pokémon moving to be in front of them defensively. Alastair rose his hand up, and knocked himself on his head. "My apologies, Deirdre, it would appear I made a miscalculation."

"That's unlike you, Alastair," Deirdre told him. He nodded, his eyes full of apology and asking for forgiveness. "Hmph, must have grabbed hold of you as the process of transferring to the void started. They were just pulled here right alongside you."

"That would be my guess, as well. However," Alastair spoke. Aegislash once more unsheathed itself, falling back into the man's hands while he pressed to his keystone. Gengar transformed once more, smirking and snarling in the direction of Serena and Clemont. "You can leave them to me, my love. Your focus should be solely on creating the new world. I'll take out this trash."

"You sound worried," Serena pointed out, and Deirdre could see the smile across her face. Clemont was the same, though he wore a rather confident smirk, instead. Deirdre stepped back, shielding Marshadow. "Like you didn't want us here."

"And that means…you might have won, but there's still something we can do to stop you from  _here_ ," Clemont pointed out, snickering a bit. Deirdre's lips twisted again angrily. She…no, they hadn't come this far, sacrificed so much for these upstarts to get in the way. Alastair was still walking forward. Clemont's gaze flicked skyward for a moment. "Maybe like destroying the meteonite, or freeing Ho-oh, or taking the feather back from you. I think any one of those will put a huge dent in your little plan."

"Is that what you think?" Alastair called, his voice barking. Deirdre continued backwards, sliding underneath the meteonite and holding the feather upwards, still shining as powerfully as before. Above in the air, Ho-oh squawked loudly, while Deirdre focused in on rebuilding the space beyond. The meteonite shined, as did the floor beneath, the connection in a cycle to restore everything. Ash's own orb pulsed as well, in tandem with the burning flames of the phoenix. "Then you can go ahead and try. But for intruding and interfering with our plans, your own lives are forfeit!"

"Not a chance!" the two yelled, but Deirdre just turned to the orb near her. She peered inside, Ash still contained within, and placed her hand upon it. He was still in his dream, thankfully, choosing from any options of the world available to him, though something seemed almost off. However, she chose not to focus on it. Time was ticking, and it was no longer on their side.

* * *

"Let's go, Alain! WATER SHURIKEN!" Ash cried, raising his fist high into the air. Greninja did so, too, the watery disk beginning to spin as a large torrent covered his entire body. The shuriken heated up, almost like it was on fire, growing in size as it spun above Greninja's head. Ash looked across to the other side, watching as Alain gasped aloud.

"BLAST BURN!" Alain cried, slamming his fist on to the ground. Charizard did the same, and the entire field began to churn and burn, rippling across the ground, right for Greninja, who sent his steaming Water Shuriken flying forward. The crowd in the stadium seemed to hold their breaths, and then the attacks slammed into their targets, exploding into steam and black smoke that covered the entire field. Ash waited, his breath exhaling for the result.

Soon, it cleared, and Charizard dropped to a knee. Ash breathed out again, wondering if Greninja would fall…until Charizard slumped forward, slamming to the ground. His form faded, causing him to shrink, and his skin turned to the color of a normal Charizard. The referee stepped forward, holding his hand out to Ash's side, much to the raven-haired trainer's surprise. "Charizard is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Ash!"

The crowd erupted with cheers, and Ash couldn't help the grin that blossomed on his face. They had won! They had won! He ran forward, turning to Greninja, whose form faded away as he heaved from the exhaustion of the fight. "Greninja, we did it!"

"Nin," Greninja breathed out, clearly unable to support himself for much longer. Ash rushed under his powerful Pokémon, supporting him with his shoulders and a smile. The announcer was calling out Ash's victory, while Pikachu, still tired from the battle, leapt on to Ash's shoulder. From across the field, Alain was coming to greet him, having already returned Charizard. The two quickly met on the opposite side of the field.

"Congratulations, Ash," Alain said, holding out his hand. Still supporting Greninja with one arm, Ash held his own hand out and joined it with that of his rival's. "I really thought I would defeat you, and prove that I was the strongest, but you managed to beat me in every possible way."

"Thanks. You gave me a really tough fight! I can't ask for better!" Ash admitted with a grin. He exhaled into the air, aiming towards the sky as he looked back down. "To believe the first League that I'd actually win would be the Alola League."

"Alola?" Alain questioned, his brow furrowing. Ash stopped, wondering why the older boy was acting like he'd said something almost funny. "You mean the Kalos League, right?"

"Huh…? Oh, yeah!" Ash laughed out. Pikachu seemed worried, forehead scrunched in some sort of confusion. Ash's smile dropped a moment. Had he really said Alola? "Must've really tired my brain out from that battle."

"Yeah…make sure you get some rest before the ceremony," Alain insisted, reaching out to pat Ash on the back. He smiled again and nodded, finally returning Greninja to his pokeball and turning back to the stadium. He looked upwards as he did so, seeing his friends all gathered in the stands. At the forefront of them seemed to be Serena, looking at him worriedly. For a moment, before he passed under the tunnel to the stadium hallways, he thought he saw her expression grow cold and questioning, but he ignored it, and soon entered the more silent hallways.

His footsteps stopped. His hands began to shake. And as he spoke, his voice quivered to Pikachu. "We…we won…right?"

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed, but he sounded just as full of trepidation as his trainer did. Ash looked up to his partner, eyes full of confusion.

"Then…why doesn't it feel right?" he asked of his partner. Pikachu shook his head, clearly not having an answer to the question. "Winning the League, it should be perfect for us…but…it's not. It feels…wrong."

Ash's gaze snapped up, seeing the shadowy figure down the hallways. No, not one, but multiple figures, each of them staring at him, beckoning him. There was something at the edge of his mind, yearning to speak with them. He began running down the hallway, aiming right for them, and he thought he saw Serena, though her hair was longer once again.

At the front was that girl again, hand still outstretched towards him.

"Ash!" He pulled to a stop, hearing Serena's voice. The real Serena. Or was she…? He didn't know, and as his body turned back to face the girl that he could now call his girlfriend, his face had disturbed features written all over it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just…I thought I saw…you…" Ash questioned. Serena seemed to laugh a little, but it sounded hollow. Pikachu's fur bristled. He tried to shake his head. He'd won the League! This was supposed to be such a perfect moment! Yet…

"Saw me? I came from behind you," Serena said. Ash's brow knitted itself. That wasn't her. That voice…that laugh…it wasn't hers. It wasn't Serena's. He turned around again, seeing the smoky figures that almost seemed to be calling out to him, like they'd been excised from his life. "But you were amazing! You won the Kalos League, your first one! Greninja was awesome."

"But…I didn't use him…It was…" Ash's head was hurting. Why was this perfection so complicated? An image flashed across his eyes, one of a great white beast collapsing on a forested field while Pikachu hung on tightly to victory. "Serena…I don't understand…"

Time seemed to freeze, as though someone was putting a hold on his life. Something was happening somewhere, but he didn't know what. He looked back to Serena, and her gaze had gone cold, disdainful. Only, he knew it wasn't Serena, even though he'd seen the face before. He even knew the question she was going to ask. "Who are you?"

Ash's eyes widened, and he knew the answer. Knew it was resting on the tip of his tongue. In fact, out of everything, the answer to that seemed to come the clearest. Yet, just as the words reached his lips, he felt like the floor was shattering beneath him and Pikachu. His hand reached outward, hoping to grab for Serena's, but she didn't reach, just watching him fall. Ash sunk down into the abyss, voices ringing in his head as more images that were contradictory and made no sense flitted across his eyes. All he could do was utter two names, as though crying for them to fix what seemed to have gone wrong inside his brain.

"Clemont…Serena…Help."

* * *

Serena flipped back, barely avoiding the slash that Alastair made with his Pokémon. The blade of Aegislash, still as sharp as ever, cut deep into the ground, making her eyes widen. They really  _were_  trying to kill them…and that just meant… "Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Brai!" Braixen shouted, jabbing her wand forward and sending the flames spurting out in a thick stream. Alastair halted, raising his shield upwards to block the attack streaming for him. It battered mercilessly against the shield, causing the air to heat up and billow around them, fluttering Serena's skirt. Behind the conflagration stood Deirdre and the shining meteonite.  _That_  was their goal. From underneath the shield, however, was their opposition, grunting with force.

"Hypnosis!" Alastair shouted. Braixen pulled back, ending her assault. Gengar's eyes flashed with the leering grin, and the yellow wave pulsed out, threatening to put them all into sleep. Braixen acted quickly, jabbing her feet with her wand, before bringing it up and hitting Serena on the head to stay awake. Clemont seemed to have a different idea.

"Wild Charge!" Luxray's body sparked to life. Clemont kept shouting, though, bending down to take a piece of rock and jam it against his side, causing enough pain to keep himself awake. "Circulate it through your whole body to stay awake!"

"Ray!" Luxray barked out. The electricity tingled along his entire figure, and soon, he was blazing forward, every single step taken leaving an imprint of electricity on the ground behind him. Soon, he reached Gengar and slammed into it, small convulsions of the recoil shuddering through his body. Serena felt her mind get less hazy, proving that the wave of Hypnosis had stopped with the attack. Alastair was on the move again, brandishing his sword.

"Poison Jab!" Alastair shouted. He reached the two humans and slashed swiftly, causing both to duck. Aegislash screamed downward, and Serena grabbed Clemont, pulling him back before any further damage could be done. The blade cut once more into the ground. Meanwhile, Gengar's legs glowed purple, and it seemed to stand before pummeling the limbs forth into Luxray and tossing him back. "Shadow Ball!"

"Gengar gar!" Gengar cackled out insidiously. At its mouth formed a large orb of shadows, bigger than the ones Serena could remember. In seconds, it fired, while Serena and Clemont skidded back from their dodge. Nevertheless, she snapped out an order.

"Psyshock!" Braixen's claws swiped outwards, sending the purple streaks firing right from her claws. Four fired in all, two of which aimed right for the Shadow Ball and collided with it, the two attacks straining against one another. The other two went straight at Alastair, forcing the man to break off. Just as they reached him, he slashed outwards, breaking the Psyshock in two with the blade, while the other purple streaks broke apart the Shadow Ball, causing it to explode. "Hidden Power!"

"Double Team," Alastair spoke, his voice calm for a moment. Serena wondered if that meant he no longer considered them a threat, but that soon turned out to not be the case. "Now, Shadow Ball! End them with a fleet!"

"Hit them all!" Serena shouted, but it was all she had time for. Alastair was swinging Aegislash out, the Royal Sword Pokémon glowing a bright blue. He slashed it sideways, and Serena sidestepped the blast, backing up onto the stairs of rubble that led to what remained of the stadium proper. Braixen flashed her wand out, creating over a dozen shining, silvery orbs. She whipped the wand around, and they flew forward. Gengar copied himself all about the place, populating the hallway, with each creating a large Shadow Ball that fired out in a dark and oppressive haze. The Hidden Power flashed outwards and collided with the strike, but Alastair yet continued his offensive.

"Is that it? Is countering all you'll be able to do? !" Alastair shouted, grabbing Aegislash like a knife and plunging it downwards. Serena let go of Clemont, both rolling away. Alastair's shield arm snapped outwards, hitting Serena on the head and knocking her into the wall. She coughed. "You followed me straight into hell! Surely you must've known you'd need more than your never-give-up attitude to win in the devil's haven!"

"Ice Fang! Get him!" Clemont screamed. Luxray, shaking his mane in recovery, leapt straight for Alastair, fangs glowing with a chilling intensity. His maw opened wide, and before Alastair could retract his arm, Luxray bit into it, freezing the man's shield arm. With a snarl, the man slashed up, the Sacred Sword of Aegislash cutting into Luxray and sending him flying upwards, past where the ceiling once was. Serena watched a moment, her eyes widening as she realized the positioning of everything; they'd never make it through the hallway. Luxray howled, but righted himself, aiming back downwards. "Night Slash!"

"Luuuuuuxray!" Luxray howled, angling his body right for the now prone Gengar, and slashing with a sickening purple claw. The Shadow Pokémon was tossed backwards as Luxray landed. Alastair's lips twitched, snarling angrily.

"I suppose not," he stated, drawing himself to his full height. "You do have more than moxie, but it will not save you! Too long have we fought, and too long have we seen our actions try to save the world, only watching as it became sicker and sicker!" Aegislash came screaming out, and Serena acted, ducking low and pressing her hand to the ground with a cry.

"Fire Blast! Make it as hot as you can! Clemont, we need cover!" Serena yelled to her best friend. Clemont nodded, and Luxray snapped a look to him. They needed no verbal communication. Luxray's body began to spark, the little rivulets of electricity filtering into the ground. Alastair leapt back, avoiding the sparking battlefield. Braixen plunged her wand down, making the ground as hot as it could be with her star of fire. Combined with Luxray's Electric Terrain, hot steam billowed upwards, obscuring the two from Alastair's vision. "We need to get above."

"Any reason why?" Clemont asked. Luxray leapt back through the steam, moving to be at their sides, while Braixen did the same. A swinging noise nearly interrupted Serena's thought process, but she answered him.

"He won't let us get through this way, but maybe if we can get above…" Serena suggested, hoping he'd pick up on the thread of the rest of her thoughts.

"…then we'll strike at the meteonite from up there. Brilliant!" Clemont shouted. "Just one thing: get moving!"

"Slash!" Clemont pushed Serena out of the way, and just in time. Aegislash came shrieking through, blade glowing blue and extended. No longer was the blade attached to Alastair's hand, zipping through to punish them with impunity. It cut into one of the remaining walls, blasting it apart. They really did need to move. Serena turned with Braixen and leapt for the stairs of rubble, climbing up it as quickly as she could. Clemont was following as well, and she held a hand up to help him. Luxray was bounding up quicker, growling with every leap. Aegislash came soaring through, just as they finished climbing up, and sliced through the rubble, leaving it and the path below disintegrated entirely.

"Now, Braixen, let's get that meteoni…" Serena felt her head go woozy, and she knew instantly what was bearing down upon them. Luxray wasn't falling, though, his body circulating the electricity needed to keep himself awake. The sound of footsteps made Serena fight through the sleep, and she saw that Alastair had joined them on the upper level. Aegislash returned to his hand while Gengar, looking roughed up from Luxray's strikes, emerged from the shadows. Nevertheless, Luxray charged forward, and just as Gengar manifested, he struck, slamming into it and forcing it towards the remaining walls of the arena. Serena woke up fully.

"Shadow Ball…" Alastair stated with a low and menacing voice. Serena swallowed, but brought herself to stand, bringing Clemont up with her. Gengar's eyes snapped open, forming the giant Shadow Ball and firing it before they had a chance to blink. The projectile barreled into Luxray, causing him to hit the ground of the cracked stadium and tumble backwards. Beyond Alastair, Serena could see the meteonite through the gaping chasm in the stadium's floor, and while they had more space to work with than the halls below, his expression made it obvious they weren't getting there without a fight. "Why are you here now? What do you hope to accomplish against our ideal world?"

"Anything we can!" Serena shouted. Alastair's lips twitched, and he lunged forward, slashing down. The two dodged, watching as Alastair slammed into the ground, causing more of the arena to fall away with the blistering blow. He whipped outwards, and Serena twirled to the side, only for Aegislash to knick her on her arm, blood spurting forth. She cried out from the pain. "We've worked hard for our world."

"Yes, time and time again," Clemont called. Alastair swung around, plunging forth with his shield arm and bashing Clemont in the stomach. The inventor wheezed, but continued. "Every invention I've built. Every battle I've fought. They've been for saving the world, and helping people and Pokémon! We won't let you take that all away!"

"You think you're the only ones that have fought for this world? ! That have died for it? As though your own opinions are all that matter!" Alastair slashed outward, creating a great force of a whirlwind that pushed the two backwards. Serena felt the cut on her arm rupture further. "Your hypocrisy is astounding!"

"Hypocrisy? We're not the ones thinking we can change the world the way we like it, just to heal the pain inside us!" Serena shouted. "We don't live like that."

"But you're not living at all!" Alastair roared, slashing down towards Serena's feet. She jumped back, but the explosion of rubble suddenly battered her, causing her to fall back. "You think you can change the world with smiles? With inventions? That this world can be fixed? !"

Another slash came downwards, and Serena skidded back. Clemont came roaring out of nowhere to tackle against Alastair, but the man jabbed Aegislash forth, cutting at Clemont's side and tossing him out of the way, right next to Serena. Gengar created another Shadow Ball, sending it right at Braixen, who held her wand up to defend against it. "Braaaai!"

"You're nothing but fools!" Alastair shouted, continuing to bear down on them. "This world is broken! Nothing less than perfection will save it! Yet you continue on, acting as if you can change the darkness that festers in it, calling it living! The same darkness that took her legs, that took our very souls!"

"Gah!" Clemont cried out from the pain now erupting across his side, and Aegislash was swung downward. Serena grabbed Clemont, forcing them to roll out of the way, but receiving a cut on her leg for her troubles. She bit her lip against the pain, wanting to hold against her stomach, hoping to hang on through the agony of pain. Alastair walked forward, standing above them with a snarl.

"Haven't you experienced that darkness in the depth of your souls? ! Haven't you seen your own hypocrisy?" Aegislash was raised up high above the man's head, prepared for a final blow as both Clemont and Serena laid there, each bleeding onto the arena ground. "You must have known, after all your battles. Deep down you had to have sensed it, after every battle led to more and more pointless struggles, nothing changing. It had to have gripped you in your very souls; your heart of hearts. The same thing that we all saw after our missions amounted to  _nothing,_ nothing but our broken bodies!

"Surely, somewhere in the darkest depths of your heart you began to realize...this world was too broken to let it live after all! It wasn't worth it to save it as it was! Grrrrah!"

"No, you…don't!" Clemont shouted. Aegislash came soaring down, prepared to bisect Clemont. But he scrabbled behind him, touching to a button. His Aipom Arm shot out with the utmost alacrity, and before Alastair knew it, the blade slammed into the mechanical arm, straining against it. The Aipom Arm only held for a moment before it broke, shattering into pieces everywhere.

But that moment was all that was needed.

"Luuuuux!" Luxray barked, barreling down the arena and ramming into Alastair with his electrified body. The man's eyes widened in shock, and then he was tossed back, slamming into one of the walls. Up on the stands, some rubble trickled down, as though there was movement caused by Alastair's attacks and subsequent collision with the wall. He remained standing, however, breath coming out in a feral growl.

Serena pushed up at the ground, coughing a bit, the pain rippling on her limbs. She was starting to feel that keen sense of exhaustion, her body wanting to just quit. But she wouldn't let it. Nor would Clemont, the both of them bringing themselves to stand. Alastair regarded them with his snarl, while Gengar traveled along the ground as a shadow, reappearing next to its trainer. Serena looked at him, gripping to Braixen for a moment as her blue eyes shined in the darkness.

"Maybe you're right," she said, huffing out with every breath. Clemont's hands were on his knees, his broken Aipom arm flopping out of his bag, twitching and sparking. "Maybe this world can't be fixed. Maybe we're all just fighting pointlessly. Maybe there is no hope…

"But I don't care. If there isn't any, we'll make some!"

"And if this world is broken, we'll try to fix it!" Clemont shouted, raising himself to his full height. He, too, was breathing heavily, and both Braixen and Luxray were the same, moving to still defend them. "But if we can't...then that's okay, too, because it's still ours! We can still live in it! And that future is  _all_  of ours, it's not just up to you!"

"Then, fight! Fight for your future!" Alastair roared. "If you want it, take hold of it! Because I won't let go of  _our_  future! Shadow Ball!"

"Psyshock!" Serena screamed. Braixen and Gengar struck at the same exact time, both flinging out projectiles of different shades of purple. The Shadow Ball struck outwards, while Braixen's Psyshock pierced the air in its streams. The attacks met in midair, holding against each other for a moment, and then exploding outward. Serena's skirt ruffled, along with her hair, and she clasped her wound. "Go!"

"Brai!" Braixen shouted, flipping through the air and landing upon Luxray, who began to charge forward, right for Alastair and Gengar. Braixen looked back at Serena, and she nodded. Whipping her wand forward, a Flamethrower jetted outwards, slamming into Gengar before they could blink. Alastair was slightly swifter, holding his shield arm up, and the blade of Aegislash at his side.

"Ice Fang on Aegislash!" Clemont called out. Luxray leapt into the air, his fangs tinkling with their frosty presence. Alastair's eyes widened, but he continued defending against the flames, only for Luxray to arrive and, in a second, sink his teeth into the blade. His fangs dug deeper, beginning to freeze Aegislash up, as if making it brittle.

"Hypnosis!" Alastair roared, whipping Aegislash outward, and causing Luxray to be thrown to the side. Braixen leapt off, just as Gengar's eyes flashed. Serena stepped forward, driving her fingers into her wound. She further bit her lip, causing more pain, but keeping herself awake.

"Fire Blast!" she shouted, voice wavering with a slight whimper at the end. Braixen twirled her wand around and jabbed it forward, causing the flaming star to fire out and hit Gengar, pushing it against the wall. The entire air became heated, and Luxray blasted forward with his sparking body. Gengar recovered, waiting for Luxray to approach.

"Gen…gar!" Gengar shouted, just as the Gleam Eyes Pokémon reached him. The two slammed against each other, holding for a second before falling away. Luxray's body shuddered, clearly afflicted with poison and the recoil. Gengar tumbled backwards, shocks covering its body with a paralysis. Alastair looked to his partner, as if surprised, and Serena took advantage.

"Flamethrower on Aegislash!" she called, cracking her knuckles, just like Ash would. Braixen ran forward, right for Alastair.

"Braaaaaaaaaaaixen!" she shouted. Alastair swung Aegislash outwards, but Braixen was faster. All her training for performances was put to good use as she flipped into the air and touched her wand straight to the frozen, brittle blade. Then she smiled, and fired. The flames roared out, consuming the blade of the Royal Sword Pokémon. A chink appeared on its blade, and Alastair was forced to let go before he was consumed, even dropping the shield, clanking to the ground with a finality. Finally, Serena could see all the wounds on his body, no longer hidden by the illusion; she didn't want to even  _think_  about what it would have been like fighting him at full power.

Nevertheless, Aegislash went spiraling through the air before landing on the ground with a shattering thud, the ice tumbling away and leaving it fainted. Alastair was on his own, now. Still, he kicked out, nailing Braixen and driving her back, the fox letting out a huff of exhaustion. "Double Team! Obliterate them with Shadow Ball!"

"GEEEEEEEENG…" Gengar began to shout. First one copy appeared, and then another and then another, each of them soon covering the stands and the arena floor, itself. Braixen and Luxray were already too tired to try and eliminate them all, especially when all formed a Shadow Ball by their mouths. They fired them towards the same spot, creating a giant Shadow Ball that seemed large enough to eclipse all of those fighting in the arena. "…GAR!"

"Block it!" Serena and Clemont shouted at the same time. Braixen moved first, creating a Hidden Power at the end of her wand that was growing larger and larger, before beginning to swirl with the purple of a Psyshock. Then it fired right at the projectile. They collided, straining against each other, the output of energy pushing each of them back. Then Luxray leapt forward, claws shining a bright purple, and he dove into the Shadow Ball. They watched on with anticipation, the attack clearly ripping away at Clemont's faithful Pokémon.

"Luuuuuuuxraaaaay!" Luxray growled out, his cry piercing the air as he finally slashed his claws apart, breaking the gigantic Shadow Ball and making his way right for Gengar, slashing across its figure and slamming it into the arena wall. Then he landed. "Ray…ray…ray…"

"We can't hold on much longer…" Clemont gasped out, and Serena nodded. Gengar was still holding on, grinning as much as it could, despite the expression momentarily faltering at times. Alastair was still standing there, too, though it seemed his wounds had had much more of an effect than earlier. Either way, both knew that the battle needed to end soon. Serena stepped forward, and she saw Alastair's expression change: he was grinning.

"Clemont!" Serena shouted, and she pushed him away once more. Gengar's eyes flashed, and Serena felt her vision wobble, her body falling as she scrabbled at the air. A shadowy claw erupted, all too familiar to Serena, and it pierced her leg, causing her to scream, as a shadowy form made its way for Clemont. The pain made Serena's eyes stay open, and she could see Matori approaching. With a grimace, Serena berated herself internally; she should have known that Matori would be there.

Yet at the same time, if she was…

"Leech Seed!"

"Foul Play, Inkay!" Serena grinned; she thought so. Great roots emerged from the ground, ensnaring Matori's feet before she could even blink, her own wounds making her slower. She slammed to the ground as Inkay sailed forward, grabbing hold of Sableye's claw and throwing the Pokémon outward, causing it to collide with its trainer. "Now, you didn't really think you'd get rid of us  _that_  easily, did you?"

"We're da top cats of dis here world. We got nine lives," Meowth said. Serena looked in their direction, seeing that Team Rocket had interfered at the best of times. Matori, however, didn't look pleased at all. Sableye slashed apart the vines while its trainer looked at Jessie, James and Meowth with the utmost of disdain.

"You utter annoyances," Matori spoke, her cold expression whipping over to the trio. Serena kept her eyes between both members of IDEAL, trying to quickly think of a way to counter them, but it quickly seemed that Team Rocket already had a plan in mind, at least with the way that Jessie was sauntering forward.

"Yeah, well so are you!" she snapped to the woman, pointing at her. "Always blabbing on and on about the mission, calling us failures, when the whole time you were a traitor."

"That doesn't erase what you were. I never understood what that fool Giovanni saw in you. Useless idiots," Matori said, scowling. She was clearly no longer the prime assassin, not with her wounds and her anger towards the three agents before her. "I always hated you three."

"Right back at ya!" Meowth shouted, and he ran right for her, claws extended with a bright and glinting light. He leapt upwards, and Sableye sent its darkened fists out to meet him. Jessie and James now ran forward, too. "We never liked ya for always talkin' down to us! Probably laughin' about us!"

"Well, guess who's laughing now? !" James grunted. Inkay sailed forward as Wobbuffet did, as well, jumping through the air to land upon Matori and hug her close, his body glowing. The woman took out one of her blades, but before she could hit Wobbuffet, one of Gourgeist's plants erupted outwards, gripping to her hand. Inkay grabbed ahold of Sableye and brought it smashing into Wobbuffet's glowing body. They all slammed forward, rolling along the ground towards Alastair and Gengar.

"Now, twerpette and science twerp! We don't have all day, or whatever it is here!" Jessie demanded, running right past Serena and Clemont. The duo watched them go, the former villains almost looking gleeful that they'd be the ones to help take out Matori. Alastair's eye was twitching as he saw his companion unable to move beneath the bulk of Pokémon.

"So, blast us off one more time with a cheer!"

"Dis Team Rocket's da best of da year!" Meowth shouted, and the three all leapt forward. Before Matori knew it, Jessie had pinned her arms, while James took to her legs and Meowth landed on her face.

"Get off, you  _imbeciles_!" she shouted. Serena looked at Clemont, and they both knew. It was time to end this. "Alastair!"

"Yes, I-"

"Steam Field!" Serena and Clemont yelled out, pushing their hands forward and punching them. Braixen twirled her wand around and then plunged it into the ground, slamming the fiery star outward that consumed the entire space. Luxray's fur bristled angrily, and electricity shot out to the entire arena space. The powerful shocks traveled up Team Rocket's bodies, but they held on. Alastair stepped forward, but jumped back the second a spark went up his leg. Serena looked around, seeing the meteonite glowing and pulsing with flames. The space beyond the stadium was still being filled in. From the Electric Terrain, steam burst forth, consuming the area, and Serena ran forward. "Psyshock! Trap Gengar!"

"Brai!" Braixen cried. She couldn't see her beloved Pokémon through the steam, but Serena trusted in her implicitly. Knowing that, the honey blonde ran forward, right for where she knew Alastair was. She wasn't alone, either, with Clemont right at her side, as well as Luxray. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon's claws were glowing a sharp purple as he barreled down for Gengar. The purple streaks were shooting ahead of him rapidly, the attack immediately twisting around Gengar's figure once they'd reached it. Finally, the steam parted enough to see Alastair, and Serena raised her leg out, kicking at the man's side. He moved to block it, but winced, his arm falling to his side while his other arm twitched.

"Damn…that woman…" Alastair grunted, reaching up for the wound at his shoulder. Then, Serena completed her kick, hitting Alastair for the first time and pitching him to the side. Likewise, Clemont punched outward, nailing him in the face and sending him flying towards the pile of Team Rocket members. Likewise, Gengar's body was wracked with paralysis as Luxray slashed out, batting it aside to join that same pile. Wobbuffet's body glowed.

"Let's end this!" Clemont yelled, reaching back to completely rip his Aipom Arm out of his bag. It sparked, twitching in his hold, before he chucked it at the pile. Jessie laughed at that. "Wild Charge!"

"Well, isn't this ironic! You killed our whole former organization, and now you're being taken down by the only three that remain!" Jessie barked. She lifted a hand and high fived James.

"Looks like we win the game!"

"Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena shouted. Gengar was the first to stir, creating a Shadow Ball from atop the massive grouping and firing. Braixen fired out her rush of flames straight for them while Luxray barreled down, his body wreathed in electricity. The Shadow Ball slammed into the flames, Braixen straining. Serena turned and ran for her first Pokémon, getting behind her and holding. "We can do this! For our world! For the future we've striven for together! Braixen, let's do it together!"

"BraaaaaaaaaaaaaaixEEEEEEEEEN!" Braixen pushed harder, the flames increasing, turning almost golden with intensity. The Shadow Ball began to crack, and then the Flamethrower broke through it, colliding with the group and the sparking Aipom Arm at the same exact time that Luxray made contact. The electricity and flames mingled, and for a moment, Serena saw Alastair and Matori's eyes widen, before the Aipom Arm twitched once more…and exploded upwards.

"Yes! It ain't no Pikachu…"

"But IDEAL is definitely through!"

"And Team Rocket's blasting off one last time!" All three shouted. Wobbuffet called out, firing his own beam of energy that consumed Matori's body below while they all were propelled to the sky by the explosion. Serena watched, falling backwards with Braixen from exhaustion, as Team Rocket continued gripping Matori and Sableye, flying off to the rift beyond. However, Alastair and Gengar took a different trajectory, smashing straight into the enthralled Ho-oh above. There was another spark, and another explosion, one that caused all of those below to be knocked on to their butts.

"Team Rocket!" Clemont shouted, but the trio was long gone, sailing into the rift of the new world, lost in the abyss with everyone else. If Serena peered closely, she could swear she saw them get swallowed up by the same black orbs that held all the others. However, she soon averted her attention and focused it on Ho-oh, now falling with Alastair, and before long, all three slammed on to the stadium's stands, a bright light shining from Gengar as it reverted form. Dust rose up, and a slight cracking noise was heard before there was silence. Braixen and Luxray collapsed, heaving with panting exhaustion. Serena quickly pushed herself up, battling her pain and exhaustion to crawl to the edge that overlooked the halls below, right down on their original target, and she could see Deirdre.

Ho-oh gave a soft cry, and there was another cracking noise. Serena's eyes widened. The meteonite was pulsating erratically, no longer stable, and the orb beneath it, Ash's orb, had begun to crack with it.

* * *

Drowning. That's what Ash felt like he was doing. There was nothing around him. Perhaps that was better. He had only felt that stinging insistence that something was very wrong before. The person he missed. The League he shouldn't have won. That cold expression on Serena. Now, he was just falling into endless nothingness, not a spark of light in sight. The only thing that was the constant was Pikachu by his side, still clinging to his shoulder.

Swirling visions surrounded him, like a life in the shadows, or a life that had gone unlived. He felt like he was seeing everything.

There was a young man, once an assistant, turning towards the path of getting stronger, but losing himself along the way.

There was another, wanting that same strength so he could never be hurt, cutting everything along the way in order to protect himself.

A young girl, lost in her mother's shadow, cowering as nothing.

His girlfriend, lost in her own dream. One of his best friends, believing himself to be inferior and inadequate.

There was a woman, flashing past his eyes, with auburn hair. She looked familiar, and it was like her soul was crying out, a piece of her swirling all around them. He found himself transfixed by that, seeing her and a man walking into a building, an ambush by people they had been called to eliminate, as orchestrated by a man that looked like Serena. There was an explosion, but the others seemed to use that to escape, and in the process, the woman's body was fractured.

They were held. Beaten. Battered. And slowly, Ash could see the woman losing hope, drowning in the same abyss that he was sinking into. His heart went out to her, hurting deep inside as he saw. Then, there was a little shadow that seemed to connect with her; seemed to understand. That was when the horror began. Ash could only watch as the woman and her comrades did horrible things, committed atrocities beyond imagining. And all he could hear was "for a world of perfection", even as their bodies slowly degraded, no longer living as people. Even as there were whispers of a promise to not let it end with such a pathetic whimper.

"No…no!" Ash called, and his hands flew to his head. He didn't like this. He didn't  _want_  this. Pain. There was too much pain that all these people were holding on to, but he didn't want to know any of it. Life was supposed to be perfect. Perfect. Perfect! That meant no more pain!

_But that's not true…_ his mind told him, and he snapped his eyes open wide. His heartbeat was ringing in his ears, pulsating, as though something was trying to break through to him.  _Don't you remember? You wanted to understand that pain, in a way that only you could. By understanding their pain, you could…_

"…be a Pokémon Master," Ash breathed out. Tears were on his eyelashes. How had he forgotten? A chink of light suddenly broke through the abyss, nearly blinding Ash, and he saw a hand reaching out to him, as if it had been waiting for the right door to open in their newfound connection. For a moment, as he reached towards it, he thought it was Serena's hand, and everything began to come back to him.

How the young man understood life wasn't all about strength.

How the other came to believe in being stronger by working with others.

How the girl had pulled herself out of her mother's shadow, and became her own person.

How his girlfriend…no, wife, had come to make the world a better place, one smile at a time, instead of taking on the entire world. And Clemont…he had come to accept that perhaps he wasn't the strongest, but he was more than enough.

They had all stepped forward. Moved on.  _Lived._  They found their hope in themselves for some, and others, as well. And in that, Ash could finally find his. The hand was closer now, and he was reaching for it when the owner spoke; a voice he'd nearly forgotten, but never wanted to again. Because  _her_  voice was too important to forget.

"Don't tell me you forgot your promise," she spoke, still reaching out. He closed the distance and clasped his hand in hers, remembering the woman to whom it belonged. "Never give into despair. Come on, Ash. Keep your promise to me."

She pulled, and Ash felt himself emerging into the light. It was only a brief flash, Ash being flung forward by the hand, but he could see her, smirking at him, reminding him of the promise they'd made at that place before she'd faded away so long ago. The one promise that had come to matter the most, no matter the pain he'd felt. He smiled.

"I won't forget," he said, continuing to fly forward. Pikachu gripped to him, and they could see something approaching, like the end of a tunnel, a crack in the sky. "I promised…and I always keep my promises. Deirdre's lost, swallowed up by despair to the point she refuses to even move forward. I don't know what moving forward means to her, but I can understand her at least. Maybe…maybe I can even help her to live and move forward, even if it's just a second. No matter the pain, there's always hope.  _That's_ how we achieve our perfection. And that's why…

"We won't give in."

"Pika pikachuuu!" Pikachu called, flexing his fists. They reached the edge of the crack, and Ash reached right for it, pulling himself up. There was a cracking sound around him, and the rift felt like it was vanishing, falling away before their very eyes. Flames surrounded him, cleansing his broken body, as if being inside the rift that he was tied to had healed him by the power taken from himself. Then, he could see the woman with auburn hair, standing in the broken hallway, turning at the sound and seeing him emerging. With one look back, Ash said his own returning words.

"Thank you, Zinnia." Then, he punched forward, watching the black-haired Draconid's smirk fade from view as he emerged from his black globe. The globe shattered, and he flew forward, his fist sailing out and striking Deirdre on the face. She flew back, skidding along the ground as Ash fell forward, his feet landing on the ground while Pikachu hit it in front of him. He looked up, and there he saw his wife, smiling at him, and Ash knew what had happened. Above him, the meteonite was dimming and glowing erratically, while on the stadium above seemed to be Ho-oh, keening with pain. Ash, however, stepped forward to face Deirdre, slamming his foot down. The woman looked at him with shock and a snarl.

"I know what to do now. Deirdre, let's burn away your pain and finish this. It ends now!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Whoo! This was an intense chapter for me to write. I hope it wasn't too confusing, though, with all the scenes. Simply put, everyone was in their perfect worlds, where Zinnia never interrupted the KTT, Ash won the League, etc. But yet…it wasn't perfect, even with all that, because there was no pain, and nothing that made them stronger by experiencing it. While, of course, the base of the new world was there, and Serena, Clemont and TRio managed to hitch a ride, all for one final battle that freed Ho-oh. Tell me, were you surprised by Zinnia's five-second appearance?
> 
> The final battle ends next chapter, and I hope it will be everything you're expecting! Thanks for all your support, everyone, and please remember to Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	25. A Flaw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it was the real Zinnia last chapter. People seemed confused on that…or just didn't mention it. Anyway, this is the final battle. As for music…if you know these lyrics from an anime, you know what song: ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH! Chapter 25 time!

Chapter 25

A Flaw

What little air there was in the space of the stadium rippled across them, causing Ash's jacket to split open, waving in the breeze. His hair and Pikachu's fur did the exact same while Deirdre continued to watch them carefully, a rather discerning expression upon her sneering face. Her hand was pulling up, touching to her cheek as a welt seemed to form there from Ash's punch. Beyond her, in the hallway, Ash could see the orbs containing his friends and Greninja, locked out of the battle. However, he just stood there, facing her down. Tucked into her breast pocket seemed to be Ho-oh's feather, though it appeared to be dimming a little already.

"How…?" Deirdre asked. There was a shuffling up above, and Ash could see that Clemont had also come over, fallen to the ground with his backpack off of him. He and Serena were both looking down at them, completely exhausted with their Pokémon. "How did you get free? How are you… _alive_?"

"Couldn't tell ya," Ash admitted, shuffling his foot a bit on the ground. Deirdre blinked a little, and then she looked down to the feather. As though it was signaling or confirming her thoughts, the ground seemed to shake, and bits and pieces of the stands seemed to disintegrate a little. "I just know that I felt Ho-oh's power rushing through me, healing my wounds with its fire. And that someone reached out to me…someone I never thought I'd see again, and she reminded me. Reminded me of everything I had to fight for, and what everyone else before me had fought for."

"And what is that?" Deirdre asked. Any sense of confidence was gone now. She no longer seemed assured of her plan…and that scared her; he could tell. Ash watched her eyes, searching for where things had clearly gone wrong, and she seemed to spot her comrade up above, collapsed entirely.

"The future," Ash stated definitively. Deirdre seemed to snarl at that obvious implication, turning her gaze back down to Ash. He briefly looked to the feather near her chest, shining in the darkness of that now crumbling dimension. He took a step forward, filled with confidence. "She reminded me of what I told her, what I had promised her. To not give in to despair."

"Not give in to despair? That seems like something a child would say," Deirdre now spoke. In front of her, Marshadow's orange eyes narrowed, glaring at Pikachu rather fiercely. "Hope. Dreams. A future. When you reach a certain point, those things no longer exist."

"Because you let them die," Ash sighed out. If anything, she seemed to be even more angered by this particular assertion of his. He closed his eyes a moment, remembering all the thoughts and things that had swirled inside that space, that supposed perfection of hers. It reminded him of Tapu Fini, and his own time that he was willing to let despair cripple him until he found his hope. He knew all too well how fragile hope was. "I saw…I saw how you were broken."

"Seeing and experiencing are two different things, Ash Ketchum," Deirdre challenged him. The area seemed to shudder again, more of the space breaking apart. The meteonite was also starting to lose its color, as a part of the feather seemed to die, flaking off into dust. "You could never know the pain I endured. The pain I still feel."

"But I can, because I  _understand_  you," Ash spoke. He sighed out once more, as if tired of explaining this kind of rhetoric to her, while she looked at him with utter disdain. Some shifting above showed that Clemont was moving, a light on his backpack clicking on while the device in general seemed to malfunction above. "Years ago, I told her I didn't need to understand her to move forward. That was pretty stupid of me, because without that, I could never see what drove us here. But now…I  _do_ understand. I understand how you lost your legs, bonded with Marshadow and turned away from hope. It must have been hard, but instead of accepting that pain, you let yourself wallow in it. You gave up on hope."

"Hope never existed," Deirdre stated. Now, the auburn-haired woman was taking her own step forward, still wearing the snarl upon her lips. "Hope was taken from us, so we decided to make our own. Isn't that right, Marshadow?"

"Mar mar," Marshadow agreed, nodding its head.

"Hope isn't made by taking from others. The future isn't made by taking from others," Ash contradicted her. She didn't seem to like that, especially with the place shuddering once more. No doubt there wouldn't be much time before the space itself happened to collapse. Finally, Ash raised his fist into the air, like he was challenging her. "Yes, for one person to win, another has to lose, but by stepping forward and embracing one another's dreams, then even that loss can turn into a win. A zero can at least turn into a one. Despair can turn to hope. But if all you do is take with no regards for anyone else, you'll never find hope; only a false sense of it that'll leave you empty and hollow.

"Nothing more than a shadow."

Silence followed his statement, though Deirdre raised her hand up to pat at the feather, like she was hoping it would hold on for just a little longer. The woman then began to chuckle. Pikachu tensed in front of Ash, but neither of them made a move, knowing full well this was not going to be an easy battle; not against someone as shrewd as the leader of IDEAL.

"Of course…you really won't waver in your convictions, will you?" she asked. Ash didn't respond, but he supposed that was answer enough to the woman. "It makes you so different from my son, bouncing from one Pokémon to the next like playthings.  _He_  would never belong in the world I wanted to create, but you've always been someone fascinating. It's no wonder Michael had picked you out, and it's no surprise that Ho-oh decided to choose you, in a sense. Therein lay my flaw, I'm sorry to say."

"You used his blood," Clemont croaked out. Ash turned his sight to his wife and friend, both clearly straining to keep themselves conscious. "He and Ho-oh were tied together…so…when we freed Ho-oh from control, the one threat to your plan was freed from where you'd decided to keep him, even having his wounds healed as a result. It also means…"

"What does it mean, Clemont?" Ash asked of him. Deirdre was watching him, as well, but made no move to stop him from giving Ash the information. It was as if she knew it was all inevitable, and all she wanted now was for their convictions to clash and grate against one another to see whose would break first. A final battle; a last moment.

"It means that feather is still the key to everything," he answered. "If you could get it…"

"One could control the meteonite, use Ho-oh's powers, yes," Deirdre responded. Ash looked back to her, seeing her body tense, coiling with rage inside of it. It was rage she'd held back for years at her fate, and was now ready to mete all of it out upon what was left of the world. "However, the biggest flaw was in engaging Ash, himself. Your boundless optimism, striving for the end. It encouraged others around you, even as people began to fall. I  _hate_  that part of you."

"Then I'll burn that hate right out, Deirdre," Ash called, stamping his foot forward once more as Pikachu's cheeks sparked. They were both ready for battle, each having their convictions set. He knew he had to get the feather to use the power of the meteonite; she knew she had to utterly defeat him to win. It set them on edge, the whole air pulsing with a rather palpable aura. Serena and Clemont remained watching, while nothing else in the area stirred. Marshadow spat angrily, while Pikachu continued to spark.

Deirdre smirked.

"Hate is all I have. You'll never be able to burn it out," she finally said. He lowered his eyes, almost wanting to shake his head in pity. "How much hate have I created in this quest alone? Nothing will be able to eradicate it but our hope for a new world. You must be fighting me with your own hate festering in your heart. And you believe you can  _burn_  mine out?"

"Yes, because I'm not doing this from hatred," Ash answered. Her smirk dropped back into a snarl, while his body tensed, ready for the battle. "I'm doing this because it's their  _will_. None of them acted from a place of hate. Not Diantha, or Lionel, and not even people who had once thrived on it, like Guzma. They all acted from love, just the same way you tried to before it turned bitter. It's their wills for a better future that I'm carrying forward; not hate.

"You see, Deirdre, that's the difference between you and us: you believe the future is built on hate, blood and despair. But we know it's built by determination, teamwork…and the ground under our feet! Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuu!" Pikachu called, sending out those sparks by converging them into a straight line of voltage that seared outwards, along the ground for Marshadow. The little shadow sunk beneath the ground, and its shadow shot right off for Pikachu. Ash, meanwhile, ran right at Deirdre. From her stance, he could already tell that she wouldn't be using the same moves as before. In fact, she made the first move this time, raising herself on one leg and kicking forward. Ash dodged, spinning with his own kick to nail her side and knock her off balance.

"Iron Tail!" Ash yelled. Pikachu nodded, and then Marshadow appeared from underneath Pikachu, tossing him into the air with his appearance. Pikachu regained his momentum, swinging down with his glowing tail and slamming Marshadow on the head. He cried out. "Electro Ball!"

"Pika! Pika pika pika pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu called. As his Iron Tail rested on Marshadow, the large orb of electricity formed, bigger than usual. Pikachu grinned, and it exploded outwards, flinging Marshadow a small distance away. Deirdre's fist came up, and Ash dodged it while she now took the initiative to direct Marshadow.

"Rolling Kick," was her order. Marshadow landed on the ground, right palm forward like he was a martial artist. Then he ran forward and spun to give a glowing kick right into Pikachu's side. Pikachu cried out, skidding back while Marshadow yet again sunk into the shadows. That shadow raced along the ground, traveling in a circle and heading back for Pikachu.

"Thunderbolt, along the ground!" Ash called again while Deirdre's other fist came soaring out. He lifted his elbow, stopping the attack before flinging his knee up. Pikachu called forth his electricity and then sent it hurling out, ripping at the stone surface beneath them until it slammed into the shadow that came for him. Marshadow materialized, all his limbs glowing as he aimed for Pikachu. "Iron Tail!"

"Pi!" Pikachu confirmed, right as the small Marshadow reached him. Pikachu swung his tail out, smashing it against one of Marshadow's fists. The Gloomdweller Pokémon whipped around, and his fists flew in a frenzy. Pikachu's tail didn't stop either, and nor did Deirdre. The woman punched forward again, and Ash blocked it, before throwing his other hand out to stop the attack. Then their legs snapped upwards, blocking each other. Pikachu's Iron Tail met Marshadow's Close Combat, locking tightly for a moment before the Pokémon leapt away from one another. Ash pushed with his leg and separated himself from Deirdre, briefly looking towards the fluctuating meteonite.

"Teamwork, is it?" Deirdre asked, as though picking up the conversation right where they'd left off. "Yet, isn't IDEAL a team?"

"Maybe you are, but that doesn't matter, because you gave up on living, all of you," Ash stated, throwing his fist down. Deirdre's lips twisted a bit, clearly not liking what he was saying. "You decided that you didn't want to live in a world that caused you pain. Like Lusamine before you, your actions were selfishness, dressed up in something better. You abandoned life, and hope along with it."

"Shut up, please," Deirdre asked. Her face seemed to have lost control of keeping itself cool and collected. Ash didn't back down, however. "You're no authority on what is and isn't hope. You can inspire everyone you want, but at the end of the day, you're still unable to achieve anything that will truly fix this world."

"The world doesn't need fixing, Deirdre. Only you do," Ash yelled. Before she could respond, he was running forward, right for her. "So, let's go. If you don't want to believe in the hope of the future, thinking you need to erase everything we worked so hard for, then I'll just have to beat what life's really about into you until you do!"

"Why don't you just try it, Ash Ketchum? !" she roared. The two punched forward at the same time, their fists meeting. The feather shuddered with the movement, the both of them straining against one another. "There's nothing you can do to fix this dying world! All we can do is restore it to what it once was: something perfect, without any blemishes. Then, I can stand again. Rolling Kick!"

"But you're not standing!" Ash yelled. Both legs soared out, nailing the human combatants on their sides, and at the same time, Marshadow kicked out, slamming Pikachu into his own side, knocking him towards the two human battlers. Ash grinned; the shadows were still connected. "You're using everyone else like your own personal crutch! It's fine to rely on other people, and depend on them. They can offer you a hand, but you need to stand on your own! You can't do that if you just take the easy way. That's not perfection; it's running away! Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu pika!" Ash disconnected, and Pikachu jumped upwards, right between Ash and Deirdre. He stepped to the side and Pikachu snapped his glowing tail upwards, right into the woman's jaw before bounding on her head to her backside. When he reached that space, he sent his tail whipping outwards, colliding with her back and sending her tumbling towards the meteonite.

"Shadow Sneak!" Deirdre spat. It was like she was growing more animalistic and angry with every passing word. Like everything Ash spoke was chinking away at her beliefs. His conviction was cutting into hers, and she clearly didn't like it one bit. So, he pressed harder, taking courage and that drive to succeed from his wife and friend above, silently cheering him on. Marshadow sunk once more, and shot straight for Pikachu. He turned, an electrical sphere pulsing on his tail. Right as Marshadow emerged, he flicked it down, causing sparks to rain around the area. "Spectral Thief!"

"Maaaaar…" Marshadow called softly, and he vanished once again. Ash looked around, keeping a look out for their foe. He quickly saw, as the orange eyes appeared behind Pikachu.

"Pikachu, look out!" Ash screamed. However, he had his own problems to deal with, as Deirdre kicked out at him, hitting him the chest. Marshadow's shadow zipped forward and emerged from underneath Pikachu, grabbing him into the air and tossing him down to the ground. Pikachu bounced on the ground, but landed on all fours as Marshadow floated back down, punching a fist outward. "Quick Attack, get running on the walls!"

"Intercept it!" Deirdre shouted. She was whipping around now, punching at Ash, but he grabbed the fist and rammed forward, slamming his head against hers. Pikachu began to dash, his whole body shining white as he ran for the walls. With his burst of speed, he began to charge along it. Marshadow sunk back down, flitting off as a shadow, heading in the opposite direction on a complete collision course for Pikachu. Deirdre twisted Ash's arms and sent him spinning through the air until he landed with a  _crack_  on the ground. "Of course, I'm not standing…not everyone is you, carrying foolish naivete on their sleeves. In my case, I lost my legs, lost myself until Marshadow offered me hope: hope to stand against Michael's schemes and show that we could still save the world. We just had to build it anew! That was our hope!"

"Doesn't sound like hope to me," Ash groaned out. He pushed up on the ground and swung his legs out, sweeping Deirdre's from under her. Pikachu and Marshadow were about to meet. "Plant yourself and use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" Pikachu called out, his tail glowing white as he dashed along the walls. Before Marshadow could meet him, however, that same tail embedded itself into the wall, holding Pikachu perfectly in place, his fierce look shining as voltage surrounded his body and then blasted through the stones. It ripped and churned at them, disintegrating more of the wall before slamming into the shadow and carrying Marshadow out of the darkness. He cried out, and Pikachu leapt forward, swinging his tail, now carrying an Electro Ball, and whacking it into Marshadow.

"Hope's about moving forward with everyone else. If you're not willing to work with everyone else, not willing to accept that change, then you're still sitting there, drowning in your own pity!" Ash shouted out. Marshadow slammed against the wall, body tingling with electricity, but not seeming to be paralyzed. "You're not moving forward at all!"

"Rolling Kick!" Marshadow shot forward, swinging his tiny leg around, the appendage extending as a shadow before slamming into Pikachu. His partner didn't even have a chance before flying forward, hitting into the meteonite. Their space shuddered, and Deirdre snarled, clearly not having expected that. The lights around the artifact flickered a bit. "Maybe I'm not moving forward in your world, but I don't  _want_  your world. Why would I want a world that causes nothing but pain? That's not worth living in."

"Pikachu, move!" Ash called, finally getting to his feet. Pikachu's body was surrounded with a bright white aura, and he kicked his back feet against the meteonite, bounding off as another shadowy kick was aimed his way. He barely avoided the blow, the attack instead hitting the meteonite. More faded away from the feather, and Ash lunged for it. Deirdre kicked forward as she flipped up, sending Ash flying down the hallway and rolling along the ground. He pushed up. "No…you just gave up on living in it…How many times do I have to tell you that for you to get it? ! Countershield, nail it!"

"You can tell me again and again, but my path is set, Ash!" Deirdre spoke as he climbed to his feet. Pikachu began to spin, sending electricity firing all about the place. Marshadow clearly didn't know where it would land, whipping his head back and forth. One bolt seared the wall next to him, and he sunk into the shadows, disappearing entirely again. "We need to heal the damage Michael, and all those who were manipulated by him, caused! We  _need_  to do this!"

"We've  _been_  doing that! Every day that we keep living in spite of his attempts to destroy us!" Ash ran forward, hoping to feint her and land a hit. She turned her body, watching as he approached. Her lips began to turn, but he wasn't sure in which way quite yet. "By doing this, you're just trying the exact same thing he did! But you're not doing it for good reasons like Dalton! You just want to do it for yourse-"

Ash froze, feeling himself held in place. Deirdre's lips turned upwards into a smirk, though they were still twitching with unpleasantness. Her legs seemed to buckle again, and more of the feather broke away. Then he felt something passing through him, Marshadow's body striking against him. Pikachu dropped back down to the ground and, without a command, he blasted towards Ash, summoning an Electro Ball at the tip of his tail.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted, flinging the orb. Ash braced himself, feeling the attack impact with his chest. He gritted his teeth, but Marshadow fled, traveling back down to the ground and along the walls. Pikachu didn't stop firing his Electro Balls at the fleeing shadow. "Chu pi! Chu pi! Chu pi!"

"So what?" Deirdre spoke. Ash coughed a bit, tasting the metallic tang in his mouth; that last hit had hurt. Still, he brought himself to fully stand, glaring at the woman that was across from him. "So what if I want my legs? Is that so wrong? After everything IDEAL gave to this world, only for it to sicken, can't I have peace?"

"You'll never have peace! Because you built your world, your 'perfection', by using blood!" Ash countered. He dug his feet into the ground and shot forward through the hallway, even as more and more of their arena began to disintegrate. The meteonite was shining wildly now.

"And what about you? All those who died? Were they not your blood? ! Close Combat!"

"Sha!" Marshadow hissed out, zipping around in his shadow and flying out. He aimed right for Pikachu, reaching him as the Electro Ball narrowly missed his figure, smoke from the shaved impact wafting from Marshadow's cheek. His punch flung forward, and hit upwards, slamming Pikachu into the air.

"Iron Tail!" Ash yelled. Pikachu flipped around in the sky, tail shining powerfully before bringing it down with a mighty swing to collide against Marshadow's fist. The Gloomdweller Pokémon's other fist shot out, but Pikachu spun around, blocking that as well. Despite the blocked attacks, however, both were looking rather exhausted already. Ash also punched at Deirdre, meeting her fist with his own. "They were people who chose to do that, only because  _you_ never allowed them a choice. If they had, they would've chosen  _life_!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu agreed. The electric mouse's body dropped, the punch of Marshadow's Close Combat missing him by a hair. With that momentum, Pikachu's Iron Tail was flung upwards, straight into Marshadow. It cried out, yet retaliated with another Rolling Kick, the shadowy appendage colliding with Pikachu's side and sending him careening once more into the walls.

"You haven't, though, Deirdre," Ash insisted, bringing his fist back. Deirdre was grimacing, as though pain was beginning to catch up with her. Ash looked up, seeing Clemont's pack, still malfunctioning as different inventions popped out, including his lamp. He was trying to stuff it in, just as Marshadow vanished again. Ash knew what could be coming next. "You chose death. Death of this world, death of others, but most of all, you chose death of yourself, because all you chose to feel was rage! Pikachu, plant yourself in and let loose!"

"Piiiikaaaa!" Pikachu quickly agreed. He skidded down from the wall, but before he hit, his tail brightened and dug into the stone yet again. Ash ran at Deirdre, and the woman mimicked him, the two throwing their hands out and beginning to grapple. Ash saw the orange eyes flash behind Pikachu, and his partner looked to him, grinning. Electricity surrounded him, and then burst around the area, scorching the walls, blasting into the meteonite and sending chunks off of it. One blast of debris, in particular, struck behind towards Marshadow. The small Pokémon ducked below, evading each strike of lightning before racing right for Pikachu and slamming up with a fist. Pikachu was knocked off balance as Marshadow soared around for another strike from a different side.

"Mar! Mar! Mar! Mar!" the Gloomdweller cried with every single strike. Pikachu was being battered by the swiftly executed Shadow Sneak. Ash continued to strain against Deirdre, keeping his eye on the feather there.

"Yes, I do feel rage! That rage kept me alive, gave me-"

"Shut up!" Ash shouted, snapping his elbow up and bringing it cracking into her jaw. She recovered, her own fist breaking free and coming to hit upon his face. He didn't let that deter him. Their hands stopped grappling, aiming now to hit every inch of each other's bodies that they could. The two humans weren't alone, as Pikachu was rushing at Marshadow with his Iron Tail while their opponent battered forward with another Close Combat. "Rage isn't hope! It's just a path to self-destruction! It makes you just the same as Michael and Lusamine!"

"Don't you compare me to that filth!" Deirdre shouted, providing a fierce uppercut on Ash's jaw. He stumbled, providing her with ample opportunity to begin punching him rapidly on his chest, feeling each and every blow. Her Z-Ring clanked on her wrist, and Ash's fingers twitched, snapping upwards to grab hold of her arm. Then his own fist flew out and slammed her in the head, right as Pikachu locked places with Marshadow.

"Why not?" Ash demanded, getting close to her with a snarl on his own lips. "You feel nothing but rage; that your way is the right way only for your own selfishness. I know you think this is your hope, but hope  _never_  comes at the expense of others. You take a step on your own! If you can't understand that, if you can't see what you've left behind…then I'll burn everything away! You, me, this entire 'perfect' world of yours! It has to go!"

"Spectral Thief!" Deirdre shouted, her knee coming up and colliding with Ash's stomach. He gagged a moment, and then the woman's leg whipped around, smacking into his chest and sending him flying backwards. He landed on his back, watching as Marshadow disappeared.

"Okay, then…if you just want to be a shadow, unable to believe in the future we worked to create…then it's time we expose everything. Clemont, I need your light!" Ash shouted, each breath like more of a wheeze. Deirdre froze, whipping around to stare up at the inventor. His friend seemed surprised, but soon a grin covered his face, and he slammed down on his backpack. Ash flipped to his feet, right as the Heliolisk Light shot outwards, illuminating the area like a giant flashlight was shined upon it. Deirdre stumbled back, blinded by it, but that had never been Ash's goal.

"Maaaaaarshaaaaa!" Marshadow cried out, his shadowy form ripped out of the ground by being exposed to such a high volume of light. Pikachu grinned, and he whipped around and up, his Iron Tail smashing into Marshadow. The Gloomdweller was flung right back into the meteonite. Pikachu quickly ran back to Ash, and together, the two whipped around. His Iron Tail cut into Deirdre's legs, while Ash slammed into her face, sending her back.

"Now, Pikachu, let's go! We're taking control of this space! We'll show her just how perfect our imperfection is!" Ash shouted, raising his wrists and crossing them. Electric light bloomed outward, surrounding Pikachu's body. His first Pokémon jumped up, bumping fists with him before they both punched forward. Deirdre seemed to recover, though her legs were having more trouble keeping up with him. "If you want your perfect world, find it yourself! You want to use Ho-oh's power, then you  _earn_  it! This world, nothing in it…none of it belongs to you! So, we'll show you our hope, our own life, Ho-oh's very power and gift to us. Ten Million Volt THUNDERBOLT!"

"Pika!" Pikachu called, and he leapt towards the sky, the Z-Power fully surrounding him. The sky sparked, clouds forming despite being a rift of the new world. The ground was shaking even more now, but Ash remained standing while Deirdre ran at him, clearly hoping to intercept him. However, Pikachu was faster, and before she could reach him, his body sent all of the electricity exploding outward, each in the color of the seven hues of the meteonite. Ash smirked and punched straight forward with one hand, his other hand reaching for the woman's breast pocket. The first of the electric orbs hit Deirdre's body before he did, providing him just enough time to sink his fist into her face, and grab hold of the feather. Then he kicked outwards, sending her flying back towards Marshadow. "Pika-ka-ka pika pika!"

The rest of the remaining orbs impacted with the opposing duo. Ash watched as Serena pulled Clemont away from the site, and then the voltage exploded upward in a great plume of electricity, sparking through the air. Ash watched it, holding tight to the feather, feeling warm and inviting in his hand, like it was back home, in a sense. The entire world here was at his fingertips, under his control, even as Ho-oh's power was fading, bit by bit. With it, he felt he could feel everything, from all of his friends to his Pokémon, trapped inside their dreams, yet urging him on, like a whisper that said they were all by his side. Even Ho-oh's sentiments were there, as though providing power; power only he could wield with his hope.

Finally, the electricity faded away, and Pikachu dropped back to the ground. The first thing Ash saw was the meteonite. It seemed cracked down the middle, though hardly broken. Light was spilling forth from it, and more of the world seemed to be disintegrating around them, though the artifact still remained largely intact. Ash breathed in, smoke and dust billowing up from the area. Pikachu's body slumped, clearly feeling exhausted. Ash had to admit that he was on the verge, too; his wounds were healed, but his own stamina wasn't. Yet he knew it wasn't over. As the dust cleared, Deirdre was there, her body bruised and damaged from the attack, but she and Marshadow yet remained standing.

"My…feather…my…world…give it back…" she was panting out, clearly about to fall with the bruises and burns along her body, but refusing to give in. Ash had to admire it, in a sense, but as she looked up, he could still see only rage. She was lost, sinking in on herself. She'd given up on life in their imperfect world. She'd given up on hope.

She was empty, and Ash knew he couldn't fill her with anything else. All he could do was bring her back to zero, the way he'd always done to improve himself.

"No, Deirdre, I won't," Ash said, letting out a rather resigned sigh. Clemont's light had faded away now, leaving them in the darkness, one only illuminated by the meteonite. "Your world…it's already dead, because the person who created it doesn't live with hope or love. You refuse to take a step forward!"

"You're wrong! This is the only way to fix it all!" Deirdre snarled out. Her legs were buckling beneath her as more of the world was falling away. There wasn't much time, and Ash smiled sadly. "This world…the perfect world, itself, can still live again!"

"It'll never live!" Ash screamed. Marshadow flitted down into the shadows, moving slower than before from the immense amount of damage taken. Ash gripped the feather, feeling the wishes and wills of all his friends filling him. "It'll never live because the person who's trying to force their own twisted kind of hope onto everyone else is filled with nothing but death! How can the world have any hope, if the person creating it can't even find hope for herself? !"

"Hope? There is no hope in  _this_  world!" Deirdre screamed. Ash frowned, watching her begin to run forward, but he wouldn't let her. This ended now. He rushed forward, gripping the feather, encrusted in his blood, tightly within his fist. "That's why we need a new one: a perfect one!"

"Don't give me that crap! There's always hope! You just have to find it!" Ash screamed, now pushing his own legs and beginning to run back at her. Marshadow appeared, sending another shadowy Round Kick at Pikachu. However, his best partner wasn't letting his exhaustion down. His Iron Tail cut into the ground, flinging stones outward with a swipe. The rocks blasted forward, slamming into Deirdre's body, along with Marshadow's. "Never stop searching for it!"

"Don't give up until it's over, is it?" Deirdre snarled angrily, blood running down the side of her face from the earlier attack. "Well, what if it is over? What happens then? !"

"Then you get up again and keep going! Keep living!" Ash roared, his left fist soaring out and punching her in the face, blasting her back towards the meteonite. Pikachu's tail whipped around, also catching hold of Marshadow and flinging him right into Deirdre as the two lifelong partners ran at them. His fist was shining with a bright light, Ho-oh's burning flame of passion igniting around the feather and Pikachu's body, sharing its power. "Who cares if your legs are gone? ! Who cares if your body is broken? ! There's still hope in the middle of all that despair. Your hope can still be found in  _this_  world. It can be today, or tomorrow, or the future that goes on and on. Find it in the team that stood by your side; find it in this world you want to change. And if that's not good enough, I'll be your hope! Because even if it's just for a moment, you have to  _live_!

"You'll never find the perfection you want to heal you on the other side, because the perfection you're looking for is right here!"

"NO!" Deirdre shouted, looking crazed. She punched forward, her enraged blow smarting against Ash's cheek as it landed, yet he wasn't letting himself be denied. "I won't live through that pain again! I won't let the world suffer under what that bastard did to it! To you! To me! No one should live with that pain! Our perfection can heal that!"

"Get a grip! It's not all about perfection!" Ash shouted. She made another punch forward, this one colliding with his nose, but Ash pushed against it. "We aren't perfect! The world isn't perfect! It hurts! We fail! But we get up again and again and fight for it because it's  _ours_! You'll never find your perfection because it's already in the world you threw away! If you can't understand that…

"You'll never beat us!"

_Yeah, go, kid!_

_Come on, Ash! Kick her butt!_

_Finish it!_

_Twerp!_

_Beat her pathetic ass!_

_Ash!_

_Ash!_

_Ash Ketchum!_

Deirdre's eyes grew wide, as though she, too, could hear the voices urging him on softly, like they were inside the feather. His hand soared out, the feather burning up as Pikachu's body called all the electricity he could possibly muster into his little body. Deirdre made to attack again, positively crazed, yet her rage faltering. Her eyes widened, illuminated by that fire, and Ash could see the life burning inside, just for a single moment.  _Finally_ , Deirdre was living. Pikachu struck. The Thunderbolt slammed outwards, consuming the woman's body. The meteonite went crazy, going ablaze with its own flames.

"Ash, do it! Never give up until end!" Serena and Clemont shouted together, their voices urging him on.

"Because we've chosen to fix this world  _together_! Misty! Brock! May! Max! Dawn! Iris! Cilan! Gary! Paul! Alain! Sawyer! Astrid! Shauna! Tierno! Trevor! Cynthia! Diantha! Steven! Aidan! Seamus! Christopher! Bethany! Rocky! Kahili! Nanu! Gladion! Guzma! Plumeria! Hau! Korrina! Lillie! Clemont! Bonnie! Serena!...Zinnia…and  _Lionel_!" Ash roared. His fist came sailing up, the arc of the feather's flames traveling with him, and he slammed into Deirdre with a final, blistering, blow, drawing from the feather and power of the meteonite. Every hand was being laid on him, pushing him forward, aiding his burning fist in driving forward and true. It wasn't for a new world, but with the power of everyone combined, Ash pushed on, determined to protect their old, imperfect one, just as they all wanted. "Everyone…I CHOOSE… _YOU_! GRRRRRRRAGH!"

Then he finished his uppercut and sent Deirdre flying. The thunder sparked around her, and the flames encircled her and Marshadow, both, as they flew upwards. They crashed into the meteonite, the flames consuming the artifact. Like a rocket, they powered through, scorching into Deirdre, and forcing her and Marshadow's body to break through the meteonite. It split in half, burning up as it fell to the ground, the color fading. Ash's hand drew back, the feather's power only remaining just a little bit at its tip, and Deirdre flew through the air, sailing upwards and for what remained of the stadium floor.

Then, it was like he saw her smile, the rage being incinerated inside of her, becoming as nothing. It was a single moment that she lived and found hope, before her body hit the ground with a finality, rolling along to a stop.

All went silent.

Ash exhaled, finally letting go of the breath that he'd been holding on to. Pikachu flopped to the floor, right next to the burning chunks of the meteonite, clearly exhausted from all of the battling that day. Chuckling at his friend, Ash looked to the remainder of the feather still in his hand. There was still quite a bit of the rainbow left, though surely not enough to create any new world. It soon became superfluous for that purpose, anyway.

The meteonite continued to smolder, Ash watching it burn up on the ground, until, finally, it sparked that bright green, and began to fade away. The artifact started to dissolve, bit by bit. The black orbs all around them shined brightly in a haze of white. Sooner than later, the whole space they were standing in would completely dissolve with it. Ash stepped forward, but exhaustion began to finally take him. He fell forward, unable to hold himself up any more.

"Veon!" His body snapped straight before hitting the floor, and Ash found himself staring at where the meteonite was dissolving, but his face didn't touch down. He shook his head and looked up towards the arena, where Serena and Sylveon were at the edge, the latter sending her ribbons down to grab hold of both Ash and Pikachu. She seemed to be straining, but with a heave of energy, began to pull them both upwards. Ash chuckled under his breath at that. His body lifted into the air, feeling almost weightless for a moment, but just riding with it until Sylveon had managed to lift them both up to the top of the stadium and deposited them there on the ground.

"Phew…" Ash exhaled out once more as his butt hit the bottom of the floor. Serena and Clemont couldn't help but laugh, though they sounded just as exhausted as anyone else. "Well…we did it."

"Barely," Clemont whined, practically faceplanting into the ground. His backpack seemed to be utterly ruined at this point, Ash noticed, the Aipom Arm gone, and the rest of its parts malfunctioning. Ash only hoped it wouldn't blow up on them.

"But we did it," Serena reminded him. Clemont smiled and nodded. Ash sat back, his hands touching to the ground, before he looked to his wife, who was smiling at him. There was so much he wished to say to her, something that his time in the rift had really put into him, but he didn't. He just kept looking at her. She continued to smile, her hands moving towards the blue ribbon on her chest, still there after all these years. Ash could see all the cuts and gashes on her usually perfect skin: evidence of a battle well-fought. They would certainly be part of a story to tell.

"Thanks, guys," Ash said, closing his eyes with his own smile. Neither said anything, as if the thanks itself didn't need to be spoken, either. They just sat there in silence, Pikachu collapsed against Luxray, Braixen and Sylveon. As he sat there, looking up towards the endless abyss they were still in, he could still feel the heat inside his hand, and he brought it up. Resting atop his palm was the same feather he had used to end the battle, the last bit of it shining with that rainbow hue and shimmering flame. Then he looked up, right over to the phoenix that was resting on the other side of the stadium.

_Kree…_ It chirped out, looking over at Ash with eyes of fire. To that, Ash could feel the legendary Pokémon calling out to him, lighting that burgeoning fire inside him. After all these years, all those near misses, finally they had come face to face. Ash grunted, placing his hand on the ground and battling through his exhaustion to push himself up. Serena and Clemont looked at him, but he didn't stop, stumbling on his feet. Pikachu awoke and quickly forced his own little body to move and go after him, climbing up his body slowly to sit upon his shoulder. With every step closer, Ash could feel that rejuvenating fire burning in him all the more until, finally, they reached the Rainbow Pokémon, and he collapsed to his knees.

"It's…been a long time," Ash spoke, smiling at the bird. It raised its head, its plumage ruffling some with the movement. Ash leaned forward, and pressed his head to Ho-oh's, giving him the same feeling and determination that had always been inside of him. "Thank you."

Ho-oh's feathers ruffled again, and it seemed to spread its wings. While it did so, Ash felt he could see the space that the feather in his hand had been taken from. It never took its eyes from Ash, and he reached forward now, touching his hand to the great bird. A small keening came from it, and soon it reached its beak forward, nuzzling against him. There was great warmth there, and Ash smiled. Pikachu crossed to his other shoulder and hugged against Ho-oh's beak.

"You've always been with me, every step of the way," Ash told the Rainbow Pokémon. It stopped its nuzzling movement, but held its beak there, as if listening to him. "Since the very first day, driving me forward, guiding me when I needed it most. You helped me understand who I am, and…I hope you helped  _them_  to understand, as strange as it seems to say, what it means for this world to live. So, thank you, Ho-oh. Thank you for giving us a future to fight for, and guiding us towards it.

"I know we don't live in a perfect world. I know we experience loss, heartache, depression and all of those things that could drag us down like a chain. It hurts every time, and I would know; I've experienced more than my fair share of those things. But every time I was lost, or confused, you and all of the others would guide me out."

Ho-oh chirped out again, as if acknowledging what he was saying. The space began to shudder once more, dissolving quicker than expected. Ash clasped to the feather, and Ho-oh pulled back. They were connected, Ash knew, and he guessed that Ho-oh already had its idea of what Ash wanted to do with the little power that remained between them. He looked back, towards his now standing wife, remembering the words he'd heard her speak long ago, when Zinnia was in so much pain, and lashed out at the world.

"We're not perfect…and that's why we're not alone. Where one of us falls, another picks it up. By doing all of that, changing, working together, we can be reborn. And if we can do it, then the world can do it, too," Ash said. Ho-oh now pulled back, its feathers glistening with the rainbow light. There was power emanating from that, making up what was lost with the meteonite, and once more, the feather in his hand grew hot. "I'm just a simple human, just like Pikachu is a normal Pokémon, as amazing as he is."

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed, standing up tall on Ash's shoulder.

"I don't have the power to make things right, but if we work together, just like we've always done, then I think we stand a shot at giving our imperfect world another chance. Right now, we just need it back. We just need to make everything right, the way it should be…and, to take away that hurtful pain," Ash concluded, to Pikachu's emphatic nodding. Ho-oh yet continued to watch him carefully. "Whaddaya say, Ho-oh?"

Ho-oh didn't answer for a moment, its majestic form just remaining there, looking at Ash. He waited, hoping…no, he knew he'd get a positive response. It was just going to take a moment. The sound of shuffling behind Ash told him that Clemont and Serena had fully stood now, and were approaching. Still, Ash waited for an answer…until flames alit within his hand.

_SKRAW!_  Ho-oh called out, its whole body brimming with fire. Ash clasped tightly to the feather that still rested in his hand, thinking about the world he wished to restore. Pikachu walked down his arm and touched to the feather with a grin, while Clemont and Serena did the same. In the corner of Ash's eye, he could see Deirdre stirring, staring over at the sight with wide eyes. Underneath Ho-oh, Alastair also began to move, but neither of them tried to stop him and Ho-oh, their purposes joined. With another piercing cry, the flames shot out from the phoenix, like a reviving fire, joining with the feather. From down below, the particles of the dissolving meteonite shot upwards, bursting with all the colors.

It wasn't alone, joined by the Omega, also fading away. Its fading power was turned into fuel, releasing the world and universes that Marshadow had trapped within them. Cinders floated out from Ho-oh's wings, and where they landed, life sprung up. Trees grew, the sound of the river returned and the sky emerged once again, now shining with stars. Ash grinned at Ho-oh, who looked at him softly. With every burning cinder and remainder of energy inside the feather, the Alpha, and the Omega, more and more of their world was restored. There was a loud gasp, as though the orbs were breaking, restoring the people that had been trapped in the void. The only ones remaining behind were the dead, their bodies deposited and unmoving. Yet he was fine with it, understanding that in its weakened state, Ho-oh could not do that. Ash nodded at the bird before him.

With one last cry, Ash raised the feather up and let it go. The object was alit with flames, burning with a renewed vigor, shining like the brilliant rainbow. Ash turned his head, able to see the forms of Cynthia and Steven collapsing to the ground and looking up. Down below came the hacking cough of Gladion, and the croaking of Greninja. Everything was returned, here and beyond, as if it was the last act of Deirdre's attempt to create a new world. The feather burned on for just another moment, like a beacon that their world had returned and been secured at last, before fading away. Then, Ho-oh tucked its wings in, still regarding Ash as he addressed it.

"Thank you," he spoke softly, and it was all that had remained to be said. Ho-oh nodded, seemingly smiling, and then it gave a flap of its wings, pushing off from the ground. It seemed tired, and from the look in its eyes, Ash could tell: it was going away for a very long while. Like the other legendaries before it, Ho-oh had left its mark on the world. The tipping point, the final one, was at long last over. "Got it. We'll take it from here, Ho-oh!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered out, waving his tiny arms. Yet another screech emanated from the Rainbow Pokémon and then it sped for the sky, snapping its wings out and traveling over the now restored Ancien City. Even in the starlit sky of night, a rainbow appeared behind it.

Instead of an omen, however, this one spoke peace, eliciting murmurs from all who were there, pointing at the sky. Ash raised his own hands, and bid farewell to the Pokémon that had always watched over him. A loud crashing noise was soon heard behind them, and Ash looked to see that Team Rocket had fallen from the sky, along with Matori.

"Ow ow ow!" James called out, rubbing at his back with agitation. "Who would have thought we'd end up at the same spot we blasted off from?"

"Yeah…but da fall wasn't fun…" Meowth groaned out. Ash looked, seeing that Matori was still there, conscious, and she could see the fallen form of Deirdre. A sharp, anguished cry split the air, the slow moving Altaria emerging from below and flying over to its trainer.

"No…Deirdre…" Matori croaked, attempting to crawl forward. Jessie, however, seemed to have other plans, quickly bringing herself to stand and placing her boot upon Matori's back. James and Meowth quickly got the message with Wobbuffet and grabbed the woman. The assassin's veneer had completely cracked, and she looked almost devastated at the sight of Deirdre sprawled out there. "You lost…We…failed…?"

"Yes…" the woman replied. Voices were beginning to filter in around the stadium, yet Ash focused in on his former foe, feeling as though a veil of silence was surrounding them as she spoke. "I…cannot move my legs, anymore…I'm sorry, Matori. I failed."

"But…it was your last chance to…before…" Matori was pulled in closer by Team Rocket, tears beginning to trickle from her eyes. Yet again, it became apparent how close all of IDEAL was.

"I know," Deirdre spoke, almost giving off a chuckle. "But it's over now. Isn't it, Alastair? Time to…fulfill the promise…"

"It is," called Alastair's voice, the man now on his knees. Serena and Clemont made to move forward, but Ash held his arm out, stopping them from proceeding. This was between them, now, choosing the path to take forward, or to not take it at all. Their battle was over now; all they could do was watch. "We gave…everything we had. All of our hate, our rage, our grief and sadness…"

"And in the end, they burned it right out of us. Now, I'm just…empty," Deirdre sighed out. Ash watched her, and a small smile began to spread upon her lips. "I cursed this world I was born into. The world that took and took and gave nothing back after everything I poured in. My husband, my son, my legs…now, even my rage is gone…"

"But we…we can still…" Matori began to call out, but faltered at the sight of Deirdre's smile. The auburn-haired woman convulsed, as though wracked with pain. There was a moment of staring, and then, Matori hung her head. "I understand…my friend."

"Yes…thank you…for being my friend," Deirdre softly seemed to sob. Her hand raised up, covering at her eyes, and already, Ash knew what she'd chosen: a way forward that was of her own making. Altaria keened against her, and Deirdre stroked her plumage. "And you…sweet Altaria…sweet Marshadow…thank you, for keeping me company, until the end…"

"Mar! Mar!" Marshadow croaked out, barely coming to stand under the veil of stars and approaching her. His cries were pained, but Deirdre could only smile, patting at his head.

"I know, sweetheart…but…this is  _my_  way of living…for the future…Now, you need to…find yours," she assured him. Marshadow backed away, tears trickling down. Alastair crawled towards Deirdre's prone body, picking something up from the floor along the way, soon coming to kneel before her. "And you, Alastair…thank you…"

"I would do it over and over again," the man spoke, leaning down and kissing her on the crown of her head. She continued to cry softly. "We spent so long in the shadows, that we could no longer see the light. Could no longer live in it. But…maybe, you were able to see it…just a little…?"

"I did," Deirdre answered. Her body was shaking now, as though she'd decided on her irrevocable path, but still could not help the pain inside. Like Dalton before her, she'd chosen what she felt was best for the future. "Those flames hollowed me, and now…I can't move forward as I once could. So, Alastair, as you've always done…be my legs for me. Live unto…the future…for me…"

"As always," Alastair said. Serena pitched forward, but before she could even make it, Alastair had stabbed right into his leader. She gave a soft cry, yet wore a smile, looking straight at Ash for a final time. She didn't say anything, their battle having said everything they needed to convey, but finally, underneath it all, Ash could see clearly into her eyes. The hope she was entrusting in him. The future she was letting go of to believe in. But most of all…

She was saying "thank you".

Deirdre's rage had vanished, and while her will to live had been stolen away with it, she was entrusting the future to Alastair, just as Diantha had to him. And somewhere along the way, Ash knew, they would meet. With a final tear, Deirdre's body went still, and Alastair slumped atop her, his body shaking only slightly. Matori sounded to be crying as well, her own body grown limp. Team Rocket began pushing her along, the woman now extraordinarily compliant, though her battered state seemed to have helped.

Ash, Serena, and Clemont just remained there, watching as what was left of IDEAL mourned. Altaria's cry pierced the night air with pain, while Marshadow sobbed. The sky twinkled, and after some time had passed, the sun broke out over the horizon, illuminating Alastair, crying over Deirdre's body. When the sun crested over the top of the stadium, illumining him, he looked up, the tears rolling down his face, and Deirdre's smile, brightened by the rising sun. He looked to Ash and the others, and they looked back. No words were exchanged, but there, in Alastair's eyes, he could see a new beginning. One more time, he reached down to kiss Deirdre.

"I will, my love," he spoke. "For the future…and redemption…tell Tolbert and Louise…

"Goodbye."

Then, Alastair stood, slowly. His feet dragged on the ground as he gripped to Aegislash, but he began to walk, stumbling towards the stadium exit, where the Champions seemed to be. Altaria rose, fluttering over, as Marshadow watched him, as though all were sharing to Deirdre's will. And as Alastair walked, he stopped for but a second to face Ash and say but one thing. "Deirdre was always broken…but…I do believe you fixed her, even if just for that final moment. She could…finally let go.  _We_ could finally let go of what we believed was…"

Alastair paused, clutching at his chest, and then smiled softly, reaching up to his broken eye, but not letting despair cross his face. Ash could feel it, and understand it; like Deirdre before him, Alastair was, at long last, living. So, the last free remnant of IDEAL spoke the words now etched in his heart and soul, scorched into him by their battles and deeds. "By doing that for her…perhaps…the future can be fixed, after all. For that… _I'll_  live on in her stead, in my own way, and my own time."

"The future was never broken," Serena said. Alastair froze, but then he nodded. He began to shuffle forward once more. Then, Marshadow sunk into the stadium surface and flitted along the ground. Before Steven and Cynthia could approach, the man stepped into the shadow and vanished, once more disappearing into the darkness. Serena sighed out, watching the spot where he'd vanished. "I wonder…what he'll find to live…if he can…"

"Whatever it is, they'll find it. Redemption, hope, or perhaps appreciating a world with pain…he'll find it, just like we have," Clemont assured them. Serena nodded, a soft and sad smile on her face.

Ash turned and looked back over to Deirdre's body. In just a second, he agreed with Clemont. They would all find their road to the future that they had fought for, even Deirdre. No matter the road, the pain, or the sins they had to pay for, what remained of IDEAL would find their road to tomorrow and walk it, now, at least, considering a better future.

To Ash, that was more than good enough.

Knowing that, Ash slung his arms around his wife and friend, grinning at them both. It was an assurance that long after the battle would be over, it would all be okay. They had finally protected their world. With a grin towards the rising sun, and all those friends waiting to see they were okay, he began walking as exhaustion seeped though. And from that, there was only one thing left to say.

"Let's go home."

They walked on, away from the final battlefield at long last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The final battle is over. I hope the final battle was emotional and lived up to the expectations set for it. Likewise, I hope the ending of the battle was equally emotional in a sense. From the start, I'd decided that Matori and Alastair would live, while Deirdre would die. Since so much of the story was about entrusting the future to others, Deirdre could finally abandon her own ambitions and give those that remained their choice to build a different vision of the future from what she wanted. It was this letting go that I wanted to portray. I just hope it was done well. On top of it, there needed to be survivors, because things aren't perfect, and even people who have caused so much pain will live on while others do not.
> 
> Really, this chapter was everything this series has really spoken to: taking a step out of despair and into hope to change and build a better future by working with others. Because we're not perfect. It's been a long road, but I hope that point was driven home. That said, the road isn't done yet, with one final chapter before it's all over for good. I hope you stick around.
> 
> We're just on the cusp of the ending, so please stay with me. And until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	26. A Farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today (February 25th) is the second anniversary of the Ancienverse! It's also the final day of the Ancienverse! I have so much to say, and so much to express, but I'll save that for the very end. For now, I'll allow the final chapter to do all the talking for me. Please enjoy Chapter 26!

Chapter 26

A Farewell

"The future is now, thanks to science! Full electricity on!" shouted Clemont's voice. Murmurs cascaded around the crowd that was gathered near the electrical station of Ancien City, each waiting with bated breath for the inventor to restore full power to the still broken city, many of the generators having been destroyed in the battle. Among those gathered was Serena, standing near the front of the crowd with Bonnie as a wind blew across them. With a grin to everyone that was there, Clemont pushed forward on the switch. Electricity sparked, and with a great burst of light, the whole power station lit up with little lights.

"Ooh!" Bonnie cheered out along with the rest of the crowd, clearly excited over the symbol of restoration that was now spreading throughout the city. Serena turned, as everyone else did, looking at the lights now popping up throughout the city. A cheer passed through the crowd, as if in a wave, and Serena found herself smiling as it did so. After just a single day, life was finally restored to Ancien City.

Clemont stepped away from the site of the power station, approaching both Serena and his sister with a wave and a rather embarrassed expression upon his face while he did so, rubbing at the back of his head. The action reminded Serena heavily of her husband, somewhere off doing something in helping to try and patch up the city. Not that he was alone, joined by his fellow rivals, Meyer and a number of civilians. This particular task had simply been their own job, restoring morale to the city by restoring the power. After all, it had been of top priority, only taking a little less than a day to succeed with the task. It helped that Clemont had quite the amount of experience in working with power plants, and specifically Ancien's own power grid.

That served as a bright beacon of hope for everyone there, patting him on the back and grinning. Even so, there was still a lot of work to be done.

While Clemont continued to approach, Serena cast her gaze out to the city. In less than twenty-four hours since the battle against IDEAL, the city had been an absolute flurry of activity, and their lives with it. Not that Serena had expected everything to quiet down in an instant; these sorts of things never really seemed to do that. Everyone had found their own roles, from researchers like Gary and Burnet examining the site of the final battle, where the meteonite had disappeared, to Serena leading her group of surviving Performers to passing around refreshments and lightening the mood in the city. Each and every person was focused on repairing the city to what it once was.

She let out a sigh, realizing the long road that was still ahead of them. The stadium had been almost completely demolished, with at least half of it gone. The hotel, thankfully, still stood, and workers with their Pokémon were definitely hard at work repairing it, thanks to the string from Vikavolt being as tough as ever. The Champions and researchers were certainly using it as a space to coordinate all the construction and relief efforts around the city, even while it was being patched up. All too keenly, Serena was reminded of their last battle here, all those years ago. This latest one had been far more devastating to the city and trainers that had fought as a part of it, but there was still a silver lining amidst that sizeable cloud.

"Whew, that took less time than expected," Clemont stated, finally reaching the two of them. Bonnie reached out and thumped Clemont on the back, all while Dedenne ran up her arm to nuzzle the inventor. Before the Antenna Pokémon's shocks could spark out, Bonnie grabbed him back and held him close. In her bag, Squishy burbled, but continued sleeping. The three began walking away from the power station, while those surrounding them also broke away, clearly invigorated to get some more repair work done before the evening. Serena still couldn't believe that everything had taken place such a short time ago. They hadn't even had time to get themselves or their Pokémon checked out! After all, Brock and all of the Nurse Joys there were too busy with the major glut of Pokémon injured through the battle.

Then, there seemed to be other things to deal with on a far less physical level than the collapsing city.

"Let's head back to the hotel," Clemont pointed out, wiping some sweat from his brow. "Get some lunch before I meet up with Korrina."

"Clemont, I don't need to know about the two of you making kissy faces, okay? Just get married. Tomorrow would be good," Bonnie insisted, throwing her hands behind her head with a rather large grin. Everything seemed lighter to Serena, beginning to skip a bit. Clemont flushed at the implication and began to stammer.

"Bonnie! We are  _engaged_! I'm not about to marry Korrina  _tomorrow_! These things take planning, and with everything we have to do…" Something seemed to strike into Clemont's head, and he whirled on his sister with a rather incredulous expression. "What do you mean you don't want to know? ! You've done nothing but try to find out every little bit of me and Korrina's relationship these past nine years!"

"Not interested anymore," Bonnie responded with a shrug and a disinterested look. Serena quirked an eyebrow, soon assuming a rather sly expression.

"Maybe it's because you have some of your own romance in your life now," Serena teased the lemon blonde. Bonnie skipped a bit ahead, Squishy bouncing about in her bag, until she stopped to face them, pulling her eye down with her tongue out.

"If you're thinking me and Max, you're totally wrong! We're just here to kick his butt!" Bonnie indicated, tossing her fist into the air. Serena shook her head at that, sharing a rather knowing grin with Clemont. "Speaking of, I'm going to go find him. Nothing like a battle to get people excited!"

"Denene!" Dedenne agreed. Before Clemont could even call to his sister, Bonnie had twirled right around and dashed down the street happily as Rotom seemed to taunt her from her bag, the girl merely skipping away as she nearly knocked into Paul and his Electivire. They scowled in her direction, carrying heavy stacks of wood, but otherwise did nothing to chastise her. Clemont sighed out, a very clear chuckle on his lips.

"I'm glad she's okay," he confessed as the two began walking back along towards the hotel. "To be able to be happy is great, especially with all the things she's seen."

"Mm," Serena vocalized in agreement. She raised her hand to a group of nearby citizens that were cementing the bricks of a nearby building. They waved back, smiles coming to their faces. "It  _is_  rather nice to finally have some peace again after all the fighting, and if my father's theory is right, then it should be long lasting…well, I hope."

"That's all we can do, right?" Clemont asked. To that, Serena let out a small giggle and nodded. It was what they had always been about: fighting to hold on to hope. Ash had displayed that quite clearly against Deirdre, and at long last, she was able to find her hope, if just for a small moment, giving it to Alastair. That thought made Serena stop in her steps, musing on where the man had disappeared to; if he had clung to her hope, or had gone and found his own. Clemont hardly noticed, and by the time she picked up her steps once more, the blond was speaking once again. "We fought for hope, so that the next generation can have that hope."

"The next generation, huh?" Serena commented, continuing to smile. Clemont looked at her, as though confused. She just reached out and, like her husband, slung her arm around him. "I know that won't be a problem. We may have lost people, but each one instilled hope in the person next to them, I know it. Their own will and hope will be carried on. So, right now, let's just enjoy the peace."

"Yes!" Clemont stated enthusiastically, pumping his fists with excitement. To that, Serena laughed, the duo turning down a side street that fed into the main road, right for the hotel that was still being worked on. Serena knew that it would take time to repair, as with everything else, but in time, everything would be all right again. She supposed that was how it was with everything. Seeing all of the civilians, each having survived, helped her know that with every breath. Clemont was soon speaking again. "Speaking of peace, I hear the doctors have finally lightened enough of their load to see some of us…"

"Surprising, considering everything we went through. Not that I want to sound selfish," Serena admitted. She could still feel all the cuts and bruises on her body, temporarily patched with light bandages and antiseptics. Clemont shook his head, however, as though he didn't quite think it was selfish at all. The sound of beating rotors was heard overhead, as well as the sound of a streaking jet plane, and Serena looked up. A fleet of helicopters was passing over the city, some containing supplies, ranging from food to construction materials, while one looked like a news helicopter, recording on the events below. Latias was with them all, carrying her own materials while Ash was directing her. It certainly answered the question of just where he was.

From up above, despite the fact that she must have appeared to be a pinprick, he apparently saw her, raising a hand and waving at Serena from atop Latias, while Charizard roared past him with his other fliers. She waved back at him and nodded, like an agreement they'd talk later. They hadn't had much time since the conclusion of the battle, and she wanted to take care of some things before then, in any case. Clemont was once more speaking as they were arriving at the hotel, seeing that its lobby, despite having taken the heavy damage from the battle, was packed with plenty of officials.

"You should make sure to get yourself checked out right away. I know I am," Clemont admitted, as they came inside. Any other words that he would have wanted to say were immediately interrupted by the great blonde blur streaking for his side and hugging him.

"Nice one, Clemont! Lights are back on!" Korrina shouted, leaning in to kiss him before he could even protest how in public they were. Serena shook her head and laughed, heading towards the back of the lobby. Off to the side, away from some of the still falling rubble of the ceiling, all of the remaining Champions were stationed, along with some others like Hau and Kahili, both patched up from the fight they had waged.

"Did you get checked on, Korrina?" Clemont asked, like he was in a worried state. Serena knew he had nothing to worry about, which Korrina began to confirm as the Performer walked away, towards the back, where Brock was speaking with Aria. The former Kalos Queen seemed to see her and turned, smiling.

"Serena, I see Clemont managed to restore electricity," the pinkette said brightly. Brock took a look to Serena for a moment, emitting a soft smile before turning away, like he was telling her to join him in the back anytime. "That should brighten up the place in more ways than one."

"Yes, though I don't think anyone's been having a problem," Serena told her. Aria acknowledged that with a graceful nod. The honey blonde looked away for a moment, over towards the collected group of Champions. It must have hurt them to lose one of their own the way they had, and it was clear that it was going to take time to rebuild the League, even if the rumors over the last day revealed some of their intentions. Either way, Serena knew, the battle being won ended up being worth it; no doubt the fallen would have agreed. "Are you doing well?"

"Well enough," Aria admitted, tapping at her chin. Serena considered her a moment before Aria turned away, as if allowing her access to the room that Brock had gone into. "I think we'll have lots to talk about in the coming weeks, but why don't you make sure everything's okay first. We'll talk after that, okay?"

"Sounds good to me. Wanna meet back here in the lobby?" Serena questioned. Aria nodded, and took a look around the space before moving to join with the meeting Champions. Serena turned and went towards the backroom. Soon as she entered there, her Pokémon emerged from their pokeballs, catching clear sight of Brock and approaching him for their own checkups, Braixen more than any of them. Serena, meanwhile, moved on towards the familiar Nurse Joy from the Hub, waving her over.

As she entered the room, laying down on the makeshift cot that was set up there, the television seemed to come on, showing the currently live news report on the screen. She was so engrossed by what was taking place on the screen, that her body moved on instinct to allow the Nurse Joy there to check over her.

"Electricity has been fully restored to Ancien City!" Malva's image said with a cheery smile. She looked tired, as though she'd been running through reports and newscasters all day. That, combined with her own role in battling across the city, was no doubt the reason for her clear and present state of exhaustion. "After a twenty-four-hour relief effort, we have confirmed sightings of the electricity restored to the city. Much damage still remains, but with coordination from the League and Aether Foundation, Mayor Chrissy expects to have the city up and functioning fully by the end of the week."

"Ancien City suffered yet another major blow," the mayor spoke, adjusting her glasses as she seemed to speak to a slew of reporters from earlier in the day. "Like the Debacle nine years ago, our city has been devastated by the battle that took place here. With the stadium halfway destroyed and the Ancien Grand in need of major repairs, it will take time before our city is whole again." Here, Chrissy seemed to pause, breathing out, but wearing a smile on her face.

"However, our citizens are safe, thanks to the great efforts of those who fought here. Ancien Castle suffered minimal damage, and is being used as a temporary housing until things will be patched up. I am sure with the efforts of the trainers that are here, and the assistance of those big organizations, we will be able to move people back into the city proper by the end of the week. It is with great thanks that I bow my head in reverence for them. Without all of your efforts, Ancien City and its people would not have survived. Therefore, thank you!"

The image quickly shifted away from the mayor's press conference and back to a rather solemn Malva, adjusting some papers on her desk. "In related news, the League has announced that in light of what occurred within the battle, there will be no televised celebration or ceremony. Champions Lance and Steven have gone on record saying that their focus needs to be less on awarding medals and instead on grieving for the fallen, while building for the future. They plan to announce who will replace Diantha, as Kalos Champion, following her funeral, along with the funeral of all the others that died, which will take place tomorrow evening.

"In the meantime, other relief efforts…"

"Serena," Nurse Joy called, bringing her back out of her fixation with the television and facing the pinkette. She turned a screen towards her, and Serena looked at the readout upon it, giving out a major sigh of relief. "Everything seems to be fine. Just need to give your scars time to heal."

"Oh, good…" Serena breathed out, reaching up to her chest and clasping at her ribbon. She had started to worry after everything, but it seemed that things had turned out okay. At that exact moment, Brock finished with her Pokémon, as well, all of them coming to join her. As a team, they all moved to exit the room, with Brock escorting them out. She stopped before exiting to the lobby, patting Sandshrew and Pancham on their heads. "Thanks, Brock. I appreciate you making sure they're all okay."

"It's just fine. So, when are you going to tell him?" Brock asked, leaning against the doorframe with a bit of a smirk. Serena swallowed, realizing that he had figured it out. "It's none of my business, but I was just wondering."

"Tomorrow, I think," Serena answered, running her hands down her skirt, smoothing out the folds. She smiled to Brock. "I wanted to tell him after the Champion Tournament, but things happened, you know. In the meantime, I think  _you_  need to tell Aria if you want to take it seriously. She's quite smitten with you."

"Wha-?" Brock stammered and spluttered, as though he hadn't quite expected that to be said. She offered him a wink, and Serena turned right around to aim for Aria, sitting at a couch in the lobby. To Serena's surprise, most of those sorts of comforts were still available…or at least those that hadn't been destroyed in the Hyper Beam blast. Ho-oh's power might have restored the world, but like Jirachi before it, it hadn't healed everything.

As Serena walked over to the couches, she could see that Aria wasn't alone in the slightest. In fact, it seemed that while she was checking in, the pinkette had clearly called on a number of Performers and many others that were now seated around the area, some pulling up chairs, or just makeshift versions of ones. From Shauna to Miette seated closest, and then to Maka and Keoni, both sitting a little closer together than Serena would have thought, their hands almost intertwined. Lillie was also there, stroking Komala's fur with a content smile on her lips. Off by the windows of the hotel, washing them down or fixing them (she wasn't sure which), was Team Rocket, Jessie clearly keeping one ear on the conversation in the first place. Before Serena reached the site, she looked to the side and noticed Aston hobbling over towards the Champion's table. He paused and she looked at him.

"You've taken quite the step," he said with a toothy grin, as he leaned upon his cane. Serena watched him for a second and then smiled right back, choosing to correct him.

"Not at all.  _We've_  all taken a step towards the future, together."

"Ha! So true!" Aston barked out in response to her correction. He straightened his back a little bit, trying to appear as the regal mayor he once was, and Serena knew he was still. "This is the second time you've done so much for this city, Serena. Can't say I'm not grateful. You've grown into a fine, young woman. I should have known you'd become someone this current generation could rely upon from the moment we met on the riverbank."

"I'm still surprised you can remember that," Serena admitted with a laugh. Aston grinned at her in a more teasing manner, taking his weight off his cane for a moment.

"I'm not so old yet, that I'd forget things like that!"

"Sorry, sorry," Serena laughed out, and he joined right in, even if some coughs were laced in amongst those chuckles. "But still, Mayor Aston, it's not about  _my_  generation anymore. We just have to set an example for the next one, now!"

He seemed a little taken aback by that, but quickly agreed with the sentiment, nodding. Serena flashed him one more smile, and then continued onwards for the group of young women gathered at the couches. Now that she was even closer, Serena saw there were a lot more there, including Emmy and some others of the newer Performers. Serena, however, made sure to take a seat near Aria, eyes twinkling as she looked to her friends. Miette quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, flicking her gaze outside, as though looking for Sawyer, or something like that. Finally, Aria leaned forward and began to speak the words that Serena knew were coming.

"Well, it looks like Ancien City is on the road to recovery," Aria spoke, everyone riveted upon her words. Serena tapped her foot a bit, causing Shauna to look at her, though the honey blonde didn't speak a word. "And, from everything that's said, the whole world is moving towards that state of recovery, as well, but there's still a lot to be done."

"You can say that again," Miette murmured out sardonically. A cascade of agreements followed. Aria looked to Serena, and she picked up the thread of conversation; it was something mentioned only in passing to Aria earlier in the day, but now that Ancien City was further along than it had been, she decided it was time to move forward on it. She, herself, had been stirring on the thought for far too long. Looking across to Emmy and her friends that were there, each showing the kind of exuberance and dedication that a Performer needed, light smiles adorning their faces, Serena knew it was the right choice.

"A lot of places were hurt," Serena spoke, "and a lot of people. The battle is over, and the world might be healing, according to the scientists, but there are still scars. Organizations like Aether may be working to restore those places and their Pokémon populations to what they once were, but it's going to be a long road ahead, and as Performers…no, as candidates for the role of Kalos Queen, or an Ali'i ka Leilani, we have to support them on that road."

"What are you asking for?" Keoni questioned. Maka leaned forward, placing her head upon the palm of her hand while she considered Serena. Jessie had drawn closer, too. "Like, volunteer aid work or…?"

"Knowing Serena, it'll be something interesting," Maka stated, grinning across at her. Serena stood at that, her body growing restless.

"Times are changing," Serena elaborated, now having everyone's eyes drawn to her while she paced back and forth. "The League is about to have its first major shakeup in eight years, and I'm sure with who and what IDEAL was, they'll be considering other roads for the future; roads that I'm sure Ash, Clemont and others like Paul and Alain will help guide them down. But that doesn't mean we can lose sight of everyone else in the coming peace."

"Peace?" Emmy asked, her body language suggesting that she was rather apprehensive. It was almost like, after being shocked by what had occurred, she didn't think there could be peace. "Do…do you really think that's what we'll have?"

"I can't imagine otherwise," Lillie stated, her voice raising higher. Serena looked to the young woman, who finished stroking Komala and stood, smoothing out her own skirt now. "We fought for peace, after all. Everything that was making the world sick is gone, too. At least, that's what Burnet said. Maybe it'll be a long road before it seems like we've actually achieved peace, but it's out there, waiting for us."

"We just have to work hard to grab for it," Serena insisted. That seemed to relax Emmy, and her other contemporary Performers, who nodded. "I want the Kalos Queen, the Ali'i ka Leilani, all those things in between…I want us to be about more than just the individual regions we live in. I want it to be about the entire  _world_. Every region, and even any that we still don't know about which might lie beyond. One step at a time, one smile at a time…we can fix the rifts that Deirdre and the rest of IDEAL exposed. It's what we've been trying to do, but maybe weren't aware of its necessity.

"I know, the thought of doing that is scary, plunging into the unknown, but by doing that, we're able to find ourselves and move towards the future together."

None of the girls said anything, while Jessie seemed to scoff at the notion, but the smile on her lips said it all. Serena waited, twisting around in her spot to observe each and every individual that was there, listening to her. Miette smirked at her, clearly already okay with it, while Shauna nodded. Aria smiled. Maka flew to her feet, dragging Keoni with her and pumping her fists with excitement, as though it was a new challenge they'd been presented with. Even though some weren't there, like Dawn and May, Serena knew that they'd be accepting her suggestion once they'd hear it.

"So, what's the plan?" Miette finally asked, folding her arms with that same smirk.

"I want us to go forward and help in different things. Dancing and performing is nice, but we can only do it so much. Sometimes, you need to give hope in other ways; whether it be an encouragement of someone's dreams, or finding different roads, or even helping someone to stand again. I, myself, want to help build the League into something even better for all the people out there that have slipped through the cracks, alongside Ash."

"Sounds like someone wants to be with their husband," Miette continued on, herself, wiggling her eyebrows. Her smirk seemed to become knowing, and though Serena's face flushed, she didn't offer her the satisfaction of indicating anything in particular. "Hey, I'm game for it. I've been thinking of doing something when it comes to baking…Not gonna be able to dance forever, but making sweets and pokepuffs…I could do that."

"I could help with that," Shauna suggested.

"Well, I've got no problem! Film number two is on its way," Maka stated, throwing up a peace sign with a grin. "Keoni's even thought of holding a big film festival at Po Town, but maybe we could expand it elsewhere."

"Just a thought," Keoni admitted, looking a little embarrassed that he had even suggested it in the first place. Maka seemed to reassure him of this path by squeezing his hand comfortably and leaning over to land a quick kiss on his cheek. He looked to her with rolled eyes at her cheeky grin, but said nothing. Serena breathed out, glad that her suggestion seemed to have been received so well. Other different ideas sprouted up among the younger ones, talking of going to a new region, trying a different profession, or even Emmy mentioning her friend Brian and helping to promote friendly tournaments that weren't League sponsored.

Last, but not least, Serena looked to Lillie, who was smiling with all of the suggestions given.

"I think I'm going to join Professor Burnet," Lillie stated upon the attention turning to her. Serena tilted her head, listening to her reasons for what she'd chosen. The blonde strode forward a bit, approaching Serena, and she could see the years of traveling and wisdom that she'd accumulated in her eyes. Years later, the young woman had grown strong. They all had. Now, they were going separate ways once more, yet still taking that vital step forward as one. "She and Gary have been looking over the site of the Alpha and the Omega at the stadium, and they've come to some conclusions.

"They think that because of IDEAL, ties to the other universes may have become established once more, but they're not sure, exactly. That's why, I want to go with them and see," Lillie admitted. She already seemed to be holding on to her bag across her shoulders, and she straightened the straps there. "Maybe, we'll even be able to see Nebby again, and show him the world we've managed to build. I think he'd like that, right, Komala?"

"Komaaaaa…" Komala yawned in agreement.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Serena admitted, stepping forward to take Lillie into a hug. "Healing is better, after all, and I think it's time we do that together."

"Then we're in agreement?" Aria asked, leading all of the rest of the girls in coming to stand together. Serena placed her hand out, followed by Aria and Lillie together. It didn't take long for the rest of the girls to put their own hands in. "It would appear we Performers will be quite busy in the weeks and months to come, but until we split apart, let's make Ancien City come to life again."

"And always remember," Serena stated, looking to all of them with her usual beaming smile, "we may be going separate ways, doing separate things, but we are always inseparable. This is what we're doing for the future, and the generation that will come after us, to inspire all of them the same way we were inspired. So, no matter what, let's take that step forward into the future together!"

"YES!" they all cheered gleefully. Serena exhaled, and their hands threw themselves up into the air, clasping in fists. Once they had, their whole group separated, with Aria moving towards the Champions' table in order to no doubt deliver their decision regarding the whole idea. Serena breathed in, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by an all too snappish voice near her.

"Well, looks like you've got everything all figured out, don't you, twerpette?" Jessie called over. When Serena looked at her, she could see the magenta-haired woman leaning against a broken pillar in the lobby. James and Meowth had halted in their window cleaning, watching her with care and trepidation in equal measure. She sighed heavily. "We walk out of a battle, and you're already working towards something."

"You're not?" Serena asked, stepping forward and placing her hands behind her back. Her former rival looked at her, lips twisting as she seemed to try and come up with an answer, but failed. Serena just gave her own low chuckle, and continued walking forward. "Well, you'll find it, Jessie. I'd expect nothing less of my top rival, you know. Just find what you want to do. I know James and Meowth will stay by your side."

"Of course they will," Jessie scoffed out. She finally reached her hand up to her head and rubbed it back and forth rapidly. Both James and his feline companion were now staring at one another, blinking, but with smiles on their faces. "I know wherever we go, we'll be just fine, since we've got skills that not even you twerps can match!"

"That's the spirit!" Serena called out, turning right around to face Jessie and extend her hand. The vain woman stared at it a moment, as if wondering why it was being offered in the first place. "I look forward to whatever you choose."

"Tch, of course you do," Jessie responded, but she reached forward to take Serena's hand anyway, pulling her close the second they had clasped together. "But don't you worry, twerpette, we're not going anywhere."

"Ain't dat da truth," Meowth finally spoke up, approaching now with James, their window cleaning supplies slung over their shoulders. Serena looked to them. "Jess may not know what she's doin', and tinkin' about it is real scary, I have ta admit."

"Team Rocket's gone, and now there's really no more use for us in ARC, either," James pointed out with a sigh. He seemed to puff his breath upwards, looking like he was lost in confusion for a moment, before lowering his gaze down with a grin. "But no problems, twerpette! Our own kind of Team Rocket is tougher than letting a little loss of direction get us down!"

"Yeah, Jess gets us lost at least twice a week," Meowth pointed out, only to have his face kicked in by Jessie. That led to the feline leaping forward on to  _Jessie's_  face, and beginning to scratch at it. Jessie let go of Serena's hand and the two began tumbling around, knocking into Wobbuffet (who'd popped out of his pokeball), while James sighed.

"Well, at least you have each other," Serena admitted. James folded his arms and nodded sharply.

"That we do, twerpette!" James admitted, giving off a nervous chuckle. Jessie looked up from the middle of her brawl and seemed to smirk. That gave Serena hope for the trio's future together. "And who knows? Perhaps I'll give that ol' League a good one-two with my Pokémon true!"

"Maybe we should drop da rhymin', Jimmy…" Meowth admitted. James nodded, like it made sense, while Jessie punted the feline away and made to stand, smoothing her clothes out while she pointed a finger at Serena in challenge.

"Well, whatever we decide, twerpette, you and me remain rivals! I need someone like you to continue helping me look beautiful in comparison!" Jessie declared. Serena laughed, and raised a hand to her, acknowledging the receipt of her rival's declaration. It was a reminder of the fact they'd always be intertwined, no matter what the future held. Whether, in time, Jessie would become an even greater Performer, someone for hire, or even just starting a family of her own. Whether James would go on to battle or work for the League, or if Meowth would start up a noodle shop of his own in support of the two. None of that mattered, because Serena knew that all three would be right there, each side pushing them and others towards the future they had worked for together.

Knowing that, Serena adorned herself with a smile, and began to walk back out for the streets of Ancien City. At long last, all of those wounds that had been caused by Michael's actions over the years had begun to heal. Reeree's dream of a better world was finally bearing fruit, no doubt her own pain finally healing itself, all of it being washed away wherever she rested.  _And healing is better._

Serena then stepped out of the Ancien Grand, and into the city proper, leaving the past behind and striding for the future with a grin upon her face.

* * *

The night sky was clear, stars glittering up above. Other lights, like little yellow dots, peppered the city, surrounding the broken stadium. Near to that crumbled structure stood a wave of civilians and trainers, wending their way through the city like a sea of people. However, the one thing they seemed to make room for were the people moving down the streets, particularly the main road, each carrying a body of the fallen. And there were many, though perhaps not unbearable, no matter the severity that each one represented.

Ash, himself, remained in a solemn mood, clutching tightly to the casket that contained Diantha's body, his faithful partner in Pikachu resting quietly on his shoulder. Hauling it alongside him were Steven, Lance and Alder, each looking appropriately silent and grieving. Behind them, Seamus, Guzma, Gladion and Christopher were bearing the casket that held Merry's own body. Though no one said a thing, Ash also knew that many others were following in a long procession to mark those who had fallen in the battle just two days ago.

It still didn't seem real to Ash, he could admit. After spending so much time trying to patch the city up, working to restore it, he hadn't had the time nor energy to think about those that had died in the battle for their world. Knowing that he was now carrying Diantha's body forward, it felt like a frightening ushering in of a new era that would be full of peace, yes, but also of uncertainty. That alone made his mind draw in, finally free to think of their procession and the inexorable future that was almost beginning to frighten him.

Every step closer to the stadium, Ash had to wonder if that was what had frightened Deirdre the most, causing her to give her future to Alastair: she was so scared of what a future without her rage would bring, that she cast it all aside. Ash breathed out a shuddering breath, continuing to walk. As he did, people moved closer, as though they wanted to say their own fond farewells to the Champion that had worked so tirelessly to change the League. Some, such as those that were older, appeared to be crying, while the younger trainers, those that had never faced death, could only stand in shock, clutching to their Pokémon.

Ash and his fellow pallbearers continued on, holding Diantha aloft. There were no flashing lights, no reporters; nothing but those who had fought in the battle, and those whom Diantha had given her life to protect. Even now, Ash could remember her words:  _The future is yours now._  It was a daunting task she had put before him, one that Ash hadn't given much thought to in the frenzy of repairs. Yet, thinking about it now, and what she had entrusted to him, Ash enabled himself to stand a little straighter, a little taller, and continue on without a tear to his eyes.

Instead, he held himself with the grace that Diantha would have exuded from herself, had she still been here. He faced forward, his eyes scanning along the crowd. There, he could see many other familiar faces, bowing their heads in reverence, like Bonnie, Max and Lillie. Joined with them were those like Astrid, who stood next to Y, Kahili, and Acerola. The latter two seemed to be holding their own tears in (Kahili better than Acerola), and Ash had to wonder if his sister was actually mourning the one without a body. Nanu wouldn't have wanted to be a part of the ceremony, anyway. Then, near the front of the crowd, towards the steps that led up to the stadium, were Serena, Aria, and Aston. His wife shot him an encouraging smile, sad though it looked.

Ash nodded to her, and continued on. His foot came forward, planting itself on the makeshift wooden steps that had been constructed for the funeral and the construction efforts. He and the three Champions continued onward slowly, leading the way, and as they did so, some of the crowd began to fully follow them inward. The procession continued on silently, until finally, they reached the top of the steps, passing through the ruined lobby and into the broken stadium. Right in the center of the arena, some of the floor surfaced over for the funerals, they placed her casket down, and Ash took a look.

She seemed so peaceful, the once elegant actress now being laid to rest. Her smile was still upon her face, her grayed hair softly shimmering in the open casket. Clasped in her hands was a rose, and draped around her body was her elegant style of dress. Next to her, Gardevoir's own casket was placed, looking just as graceful as her fallen trainer. Ash reached over, his hand hovering over Diantha's own, before he touched it, as if promising to build on the future that she'd begun. Pikachu bowed his head in reverence. Ash soon began to turn away, only briefly catching sight of Steven leaning over the woman's body.

More caskets had now filled the arena as some made their way towards what was left of the stands. Serena was by one of the other caskets, hands clasped near a young Performer that couldn't contain her tears. Ash's hand ghosted against her back a moment as he moved to join Seamus over Merle, standing with the others that had borne her there. He remained silent for a moment, and Ash watched Guzma bowing his head, Plumeria joining him. They only stayed a moment before leaving to pay respects to their fallen brothers and sisters. Gladion, too, remained for only a second before going after them. Christopher remained, soon joined by Bethany.

Finally, Seamus spoke, his voice gravelly from disuse. No one but Ash and the other two heard him. "Merry…she was…she was like my shot at a second life, I always felt.

"Standing here, in the place where I showed the worst of myself," Seamus continued, reaching up with a sleeve to wipe his tears away, "I thought I had changed…wanted to believe it, after all of these long years. But Deirdre, it was like she reminded me of those worst times, because of Travis. I had spent years promising myself I would never let another Travis exist, but…I still needed you…still needed others to save me. Merry shouldn't have had to give her life. Not for me."

"But she chose you," Ash spoke, softly. Seamus looked over, slightly taken aback by the statement. Ash turned to him, reaching out and taking his friend's shoulders. "No matter what you think you were, Merle thought your life was worth saving at the cost of her own. She…she believed in the future that you could build, regardless of her. Don't ever discount that, Seamus."

"But…she…Merry was…" Seamus reached up, gripping at his head with pain, but Ash stepped forward and pulled the man into a hug. From beyond, Ash could see a rather solemn Aidan approaching, his repaired glasses back on his face as he strode away from the fallen form of Derek. Seamus almost seemed to be sobbing, but containing his grief that he hadn't yet seemed to be able to process. "She was my friend…I…I loved her…and…she was the last thing I had to…to remind me of Dalton, and of…of her…"

"I know," Ash spoke. Pikachu, who had been silent up until now, padded forward and put his paw upon Seamus' face. "But Dalton isn't gone, just like Travis wasn't. They may have affected us in ways we didn't want, but they're there, and it's that example that will push us into the future that, well, at least Dalton wanted to build. No more despair."

Seamus choked out a sob, even as the others all walked around to visit with those that would be passing on. Many moved into the stands, but Ash remained there, holding his friend as Aidan stopped close by. Seamus' father stayed there a moment, and then slowly reached his hand out, touching tentatively to his son's back. Seamus jerked a little, and gripped into Ash's jacket before pulling away. "I'm sorry…I'm a mess…"

"No…you're human," Aidan said, his own voice filled with the grief and sadness that smoldered inside of him. Ash could only imagine; the weight of ARC's destruction, and Lionel's death, must have remained deep within. Seamus looked up towards his father, their eyes meeting. For the first time since Ash had known either of them, he finally felt like they were father and son. "We've both lost someone precious to us, and have nothing remaining. You lost Merle, and I lost…everyone. But…we're still alive. We're still living, Seamus, and as long as we do, we have a duty to carry on that will and build something they would be proud of."

"I know that," Seamus admitted, and for a moment, Ash wondered if he'd return to his standoffish ways with his father, but the exhale he put out moments later proved that wrong. "I always thought I was working towards that all these years, moving forward, together with Merry. Now that she's gone, though, I wonder if I can really do this, myself."

"But you're not alone, dumbass," Bethany stated. Seamus blinked, looking over at the married couple that was now addressing him. "We told you from the day you got that crazy idea in your head for a school that we'd be with you every step of the way."

"Hasn't changed," Christopher agreed. "Seamus, your school gave us all hope. When we were at a loss, it gave us something to work for. A lot of students look up to you, and one day, Thea will grow up to be a strong, young woman that will learn from you and us. Then, she'll inspire the next generation, on and on and on. So, don't think that just because she's gone that you're ever alone. We still have a lot to live up to. Both she and Rocky would want us to."

Ash raised an eyebrow, almost surprised, not at what had been spoken, but rather how much of it had been. Finally, Seamus began to chuckle. "All right, all right! Thank you. I know you're serious when you talk  _that_  much, Chris. I get it."

"Seems you have a couple vacancies, though," Aidan spoke up. The man reached towards his face, adjusting his glasses a bit. Ash brought a light smile to his lips, even surrounded by death. "If…well, if you don't mind, I'm looking for a position…something to do. Is your mother around?"

"Sometimes…Though with all this meteorite business sorted out, there's no doubt she won't be away as often. Once we rebuild Nova Town, at least." Seamus spoke out suspiciously. "But what about ARC?"

"ARC…" Aidan sighed outwards, and that same hand from earlier reached behind his head to rub at it swiftly. "Jack, Lionel and I founded it to pursue our passion, and eventually to combat everything that Michael had done to this world. That's over now, and they're gone. I'm all that remains of that broken relic.

"ARC is being disbanded, for good this time. I hear tell that Alpha Squad is already being recruited by the League, but that's a part of me now long gone."

Seamus considered his father a moment, watching him as he listened to his words. Then, the blond stepped forward and hugged his father. They may have both been adults, but that connection between them was finally bridged, allowing them a wider path of possibilities. It brought to mind Ash's own father, and his smile widened; everything that Jack had sacrificed himself for nine years ago had finally fulfilled its purpose. "All right, dad, you've got the job. You start work as soon as we all get back to Nova Town. But you sure as hell better believe it that you've got a lot of explaining to do to mom."

"I'm quite aware of that," Aidan replied, and finally the two pulled back. Father and son were finally a family again, and it warmed Ash's heart to see. At least one member of ARC could go after their happy ending, and no one deserved it more than Seamus, who had worked harder and more constantly than anyone Ash knew to get to where he was today.

Finally pleased with Seamus' state, Ash turned away, walking towards the edge of the stands where all of his other friends and wife were gathered. At the edge stood Kahili, wistfully looking out over the gathered caskets. Ash stopped near her.

"Everything all right?" he asked solemnly, his voice quiet under the bereaved murmurs. Kahili didn't answer right away, brushing hair out of her eyes before turning. Ash noticed the grim smile.

"He really was a crazy old man, wasn't he?" she asked. Her voice carried an edge, yet Ash could hear the pride mingled in. "The world is for the people…"

Ash chuckled dully. "He always did like to pretend that he didn't care."

"Yeah, he did," Kahili joined in with her own dry chuckles. "Mm…puts my role as a member of the Elite Four into perspective. I've got a lot to live up to, now that that crazy old bastard is gone. Gotta be better, and help others a lot more, you know?"

"Just stop by for a dinner," Ash said, nodding in agreement with Kahili's assertions. The golfer smirked again, moving past Nanu's death easier than Acerola, who smiled, but hung her head low. Kahili reached over, taking Ash in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

"You know I will. We haven't sparred in a while. I need to make sure my little brother is still doing things right." She continued for a moment, but Ash eventually swatted her away, muttering that he hated it when she called him that, yet smiling nonetheless. They stared at each other a moment longer, and then reached their fists forward to bump against one another; it was their own promise to move forward towards the future Nanu helped to build.

Their unspoken exchange ending, Ash turned away to head further into what remained of the stands, aiming for his wife there. He quickly saw that Serena wasn't alone, with her father standing next to her as the two were engaged in conversation. The closer that he drew, the clearer the content of their conversation became. Serena was the one currently speaking. "So, you'll be going away again?"

"Short term, I hope," Y admitted, hands shoved in his pockets. "Of course, I plan to visit your mother before I do so. Don't want another leave of absence like before the Day of Stars to happen again, after all. But…well, there are still things that I think need doing in the wake of my counterpart's actions."

"Alastair, you mean," Serena confirmed. Her father didn't answer right away, but it may as well have been a confession regarding his true intention for his departure from his family once again. Now that Ash really thought about it, he knew an awful lot of fathers that tended to take off and leave their children behind. Meyer had been about the only one that was different, currently drawing his children and soon to be daughter-in-law close to him with loving care.

"That man is the sole remaining link of IDEAL," Y spoke, breathing out loudly as he did so. "I honestly couldn't say what he'll do in the future, even if I doubt it would be anything harmful, but he has quite a bit to answer for, no? Besides…I want to see the path he chose, and, perhaps, we can draw closer to the mysteries of this world if we work together. I have a friend who might help me find him quickly, so that's a plus. Probably find him and his Swampert in a diner somewhere, gorging food but never gaining weight. No better ally, though, ha ha. In any case, once I've found Alastair, I plan to return and work closely with Professor Burnet. If there is, indeed, a way to connect to other worlds or learn the mysteries of our own in relation to the Legendary Pokémon, then imagine what kind of world we can build."

"It's definitely something, right, Pikachu?" Ash asked of his partner, finally intruding upon their conversation. Serena smiled to him, while Y just grinned, rubbing the back of his head like Aidan before him. There was light chuckle there as Pikachu responded.

"Pi!" Having his partner's own enthusiasm, Ash grinned at his father-in-law. Serena seemed to roll her eyes, and almost everyone who could was nearly done packing themselves into the stands. He even caught sight of some of his Pokémon beyond, just watching. Ash's wife turned to her father, a glint in her eyes.

"Just…please be back within the year, dad," Serena asked of him. Ash and Pikachu tilted their heads, unclear as to why she was requesting him to return within a specific timeframe. Y looked at his daughter a moment, as if in contemplation and then realization, but eventually nodded. Turning away from the married couple, Ash could see a very giddy grin stretching his face. It made no sense to Ash, who took Serena's hand and faced the stadium, all the caskets now arrived as the lights that remained there began to dim.

After a moment of hushed silence settled down across the crowd, Cynthia's voice began to speak, and all of them listened raptly.

"Today, we stand here in remembrance of the dead," the Sinnoh Champion spoke with just as much dignity as her fallen comrade. "Those who gave their lives to protect our world deserve our respect, our tears, and our words. Because of them, we were able to secure tomorrow, and the next day, and on and on until we entrust the world to the next generation. It is them that we celebrate this night: not for their deaths, but for the way they lived.

"So, please, cry your tears of mourning and grieving for them. But also, please remember them for who they were, and what they did to safeguard what we now hold dear. When your tears dry, stand up and move forward. Celebrate the life you've been given. Bid farewell to the past you, and strive for what they did. Honor them with that every waking moment." Cynthia then raised her hand up, clasping it as a fist. It spoke volumes: their deaths had never been a defeat, but only a victory. They'd been wounded, but invigorated, as well. Ash raised his own hand, and Serena hers. Soon, all around them, like the day that symbol first became a show of solidarity, every trainer in the stadium followed suit, and all together, they spoke, led by Cynthia.

"Praise for the triumphant fallen!"

There was no music, or prayer, or any of that solemnity. Instead, the people of Ancien City decided to do just as Cynthia had asked for, and a firework went whizzing off into the air. It exploded in a burst of colors, looking like a rose that accurately depicted the Champion they were celebrating. More fireworks were sent into the air, and soon the entire city was dazzled with light. Some of the citizens moved in, those that were able to work, and began to bring those they had put to rest away from the stadium, likely to be transported to the place of burial that the others had been discussing. Shortly after, tables were brought in, food spread out across them. Ash grinned; it wasn't necessarily a celebration of victory, but a celebration of life, itself; the life that all those that fell had given them.

Recognizing it for what it was, Ash turned to leave the stands and partake of the food that was below. He was, by no means, the first one there at the table, though he had definitely gotten separated from Serena as he did so, instead finding himself joining up with others as he reached the table. The first ones there, however, had been Hau and Guzma, both already picking into their food. As Guzma tore into a piece of meat, he seemed to be speaking to Hau. Pikachu ignored them both, running to grab plates for them. Around the air, Ash's other Pokémon, still not returned to Pallet Town from the battle, but having hung back for the funeral, quickly joined to get food. What had started as a solemn ceremony had now become one of jubilation; he felt it was exactly what they would have wanted, for them to move on.

"Can't believe old man Nanu kicked the bucket," Guzma growled out, chewing fiercely as he did so. Hau was loading up on malasadas, nodding his head with a rather heavy expression to his eyes. In a corner, alongside Olivia, Kahili and Hapu (who Ash had hardly noticed there), Hala was standing and listening, observing his grandson with interest. "Ula'ula's probably gonna be a wreck now…"

"Yeah…we need to find a new Kahuna," Hau admitted, tossing a malasada in his mouth. Pipi chewed on her own, furiously, from next to him. Across the table was Gladion, who nodded to Ash as he ate some bread, but clearly kept one ear on the conversation between the two nearest to the food. "Then there's all the stuff on Mount Lanakila, so I'm sure the Pokémon population has gotten a big shakeup…"

"Rai…" Pipi agreed, clearly very quickly beginning to eat more malasadas than her trainer from her upset state. Pikachu returned with plates full of food, and Ash immediately began eating; he hadn't realized just how hungry he'd been.

"Man, being a Kahuna is hard! Tutu always made it look easy before he retired," Hau groaned out. After shoveling another piece of food in his mouth, Ash watched as Hau's eyes began to spark with an idea, one that he seemed to be proud of. While he seemed to be working through it, many others had gotten to the tables and had begun to eat and talk while the fireworks continued to go off. Ash turned away for a second, watching the procession of bodies away from the stadium, giving one final farewell in his mind. "I got it! We need someone who's way aware of Ula'ula to be the new Kahuna."

"And the traditions, Hau?" Gladion asked, looking almost amused by the other young man's ever-present effervescence. Hau waved it aside with a grin while Guzma continued chewing, looking unhappy at the thought of it all.

"Eh, tutu did away with those when he elected me as Melemele's Kahuna and Elite Four position," Hau said. Then he spun around, turning to Guzma and pointing forward with his plate. "So, whaddya say Mister Guzma. Wanna be Ula'ula's next Kahuna?"

"Say what now, kid?" Guzma demanded, dropping his food to the floor of the stadium. Ash found it rather funny, beginning to laugh right alongside Gladion. Even Hala's pleased chortles, mixed with the guffaws of Kukui and the giggles of Akela, filled the air with the other sitting Kahunas'. Guzma's mouth dropped open, like he had never expected to hear those words, and it took him quite a while to recover. To Ash's surprise, Hau managed to remain silent until he was able to do so. "You…you want your boy Guzma to be a Kahuna? Is there somethin' wrong with you?"

"Nope!" Hau confirmed, placing his plate down and his hands behind his head. "You've been on Ula'ula a lot, and with all your kaina and kaikuahine, I'm sure you'd make a great leader on the island. I can't be handlin' everything, you know. Not with a wedding coming up."

"What?" Gladion deadpanned, his amusement dropped in a second. Hau grinned in the young man's direction, and Ash decided to get away before Gladion could no longer stop himself from lunging over the table and trying to kill Hau. Before that happened, Guzma seemed to recover, looking just a little pleased with Hau. Ash was sure that Alola would turn out just fine. To that, he turned away and decided to head for a different table, running into Lillie on the way.

"You might want to stop your brother from killing Hau. Made him pretty unrestrained when he mentioned something about a wedding," Ash told her. Her eyes narrowed, seeming a little exasperated by Hau's ability to cause trouble.

"I'm pretty sure he's talking about Clemont's," Lillie sighed out, reaching up to slap her palm against her forehead as Komala yawned. Ash couldn't help but laugh at that, though he did notice the blush that was spreading across her cheeks as she puffed them. "Though, I've been trying to get him to ask for months…"

"Komama…" Komala agreed with another yawn. Ash put an arm around her, squeezing the young woman to him for a moment before letting her stop the now lunging Gladion, while Guzma was crying manly tears. Plumeria just rushed to his side and smacked him over the head. It was eerily reminiscent of Misty, who seemed to currently be talking with Serena and Iris, squealing loudly over something and calling it romantic. Ash had no idea what that was about, so at his continually rumbling stomach, he headed for one of the other tables, where Dawn and May were enjoying their own food. Dawn waved him over.

"Hard to believe we're having a party after a  _funeral_  of all things," Dawn chuckled out nervously. Pikachu leapt on to the table, in order to join Piplup for some more food. Buneary was also there, sidling up to Pikachu with a wink. He seemed surprisingly okay with it, raising a paw in greeting and allowing Buneary to get closer.

"I'm sure it's what they would have wanted," Ash told her. Dawn nodded, but didn't say anything. Rather, it seemed that she wasn't sure what to say. May, however, had no such problem.

"You would know better than us," the brunette said quietly. "You were pretty close to Diantha by the end, right?"

"I guess," Ash stated, shoving his hands in his pockets as he answered. His eyes were drawn away, to two very distinct spots within the stadium: where Diantha and then Deirdre had died. It made Ash think about Marshadow, who had vanished into the shadows with Alastair. He wondered if, now that they had failed, they would decide to remain as shadows, or someday step into the light once again. Ash was sure that Y would help them find that answer.  _And I hope to hear it when they do._

"So, Serena's shared her plan with us," Dawn piped up, making Ash put his attention back onto her, tilting his head to the side. He hadn't had much chance to speak with his wife over the last two days, too busy at work. Noticing this fact, Dawn chose to elaborate. "She really wants Performers and Coordinators to branch into other things to help enrich the world and make it a better place. I like it, personally, so I was thinking about opening a traveling Coordinator's program. May likes it, too."

"It's a great plan, and I'm sure we'll be able to get a lot of veteran Coordinators and Top Coordinators to help out. Drew's already said he's down for it, much as Max hates that," May said, shoving a whole kebob in her mouth without much compunction. "Think about it, if we hadn't met you, Ash, we'd have been these total newbie trainers who had no idea what they were doing."

"So, just imagine if we could sponsor new trainers!" Dawn said cheerily, pumping her fists. Piplup agreed, his flippers flapping up into the air with joy. "They don't  _have_  to do coordinating, but it would be a great chance to experience some other side of things and could really improve the Coordinators in the next Grand Festival, or even encourage them to come to Kalos for Showcases. Especially if they're able to get mentoring from great trainers like Zoey or Nando…even Jessie, if she's up for something like that."

"It definitely sounds awesome!" Ash agreed, reaching up above and giving a high five to Dawn, their clap resounding around the area. Feeling pleased with the plan, Dawn decided to grab her own food, markedly less than May's. While she did so, she put her own query forward to Ash.

"So, what're your plans for the future? And how's that whole Champion Tournament thing going to be resolved?" Ash started thinking a moment, his mind never having spent much time on what the future could hold, or what he wanted to do with it. There wasn't much time to dwell before the thought was interrupted.

"It's not going to be resolved," called Cynthia's voice. All three of them turned to face the now incoming entourage, while Pikachu's ears perked up a bit, scrambling back over to Ash side before he began licking the ketchup off of his paws. Once he had, the whole group of Cynthia, Steven and Lance had finished approaching. Dawn and May seemed to bow to their group, though it appeared to be more out of habit than anything else. "With the news of what happened here, we decided to forego the results of the tournament. It wouldn't feel right without Diantha."

"Makes sense," Ash admitted with a nod. Looking beyond the Champions, Ash could see Charizard, Infernape, Greninja and Decidueye going for a large bowl of fruit with glee. Ash almost shook his head at his most stoic acting that way (except for the latter, naturally). "What  _are_  you guys planning to do about the position of Kalos Champion, anyway? I mean, that's kind of important, right."

"That's what we've had to discuss the last couple days, and it hasn't been easy, I'll admit," Steven said. Out of the three of them there, he seemed to be the one putting on the bravest face, having been closer to Diantha than most of the others, possibly barring Cynthia. "Kukui and Alder were on completely separate sides of the debate, and if we wanted to take other Elite Four members' thoughts, like Kahili's, into the mix, it just became more complicated. Thankfully, Nanu didn't sit on the League, so that's one less issue averted."

"Though still leaving some of its own issues in its wake," Lance conceded with a sigh on his lips. "Matori's in custody and both Alastair and Marshadow have vanished. IDEAL is broken, but they certainly left a large impact on what remains."

"I wouldn't worry about Alastair," Ash pointed out, putting his hands in his pockets. Lance was nodding, clearly agreeing with the sentiment before he puffed out another sigh and continued on with his thoughts.

"I'm not, but it did bring to light some of the League's less savory moments," Lance said, running a hand through his hair. "We don't want to hide them, of course, but it brought up that sharp contrast in direction, and one we want to try and avoid in the future."

"The tipping points may be past, of course," Steven chose to elaborate, "but it doesn't mean we can relax. There are still dangerous people out there; people that those such as Team Neo deemed as threats. From smugglers to smaller criminal syndicates and even other regions that could use a League representative to get them in line from pulling any horrible stunts to its citizens. It's a dangerous world yet, but perhaps with the future we've all secured, we can make it safer, one step at a time."

"Sounds like a challenge worth taking on. Right, buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu grinned, and the two gave each other a light fistbump. Dawn and May snorted at the action, while Cynthia looked back at her fellow Champions with a rather indiscernible expression.

"Yes, it is," Lance agreed. "In fact, it's something Alpha Squad has already joined in on. We want to make things better than the old days: own up to our mistakes of the past. Perhaps, one day, we'll be able to bring Matori to aid us in creating that better world, though I realize that for people as damaged as them, that road may be far too long. Either way, we're all willing to walk it. The League will persist, and we'll be using plenty of people looking for a second chance to do it."

"And we'll walk it with you! Serena's already gotten her own goals in mind, and everyone's walking their own paths. In time, I know we'll reach exactly the kind of perfection Deirdre may have wanted to see, but we'll do it by our own hands!" Ash insisted, smirking at those gathered there. "But…uh…you still didn't answer my question about what you guys had decided on for the whole Kalos Champion thing."

The Champions were silent, staring around at each other, while the trio of Ash, May and Dawn also stared at them, the latter two munching rather loudly. Then, Cynthia looked forward. "To be honest, Diantha had always hoped for you to be the one to inherit the title."

"Pika? !" Pikachu expressed with shock, but Ash couldn't help his own chuckle. He had expected it at some point, despite the words that Diantha had never spoken.

"You and she were close, and she knew you better than most of us here," Cynthia admitted, fluffing her hair out a bit as she did so. "However, she did also fear you wouldn't accept the role, having turned it down a few years back, which she was fine with. I believe we lost her well before you would have been ready to accept the position, though, which is what led to the debates."

Ash tilted his head. They must have seriously considered him for the position of Kalos Champion if they'd spent so long arguing it. Of course, Cynthia was right: the wanderlust hadn't quite left his veins, even if it had simmered down. He wasn't someone that wanted to be stuck in the position of a Champion. Still, he wanted to know the decision that the League had reached. "And…what did you choose?"

"Malva will make a wonderful Champion," Steven admitted, a light smirk on his lips. Ash's eyebrow rose up at the answer. "She knows the media well, and has as much an eye for politics as Diantha did. Her past with Team Flare is largely irrelevant at this point. In the meantime, we'll fill her position with quite the capable trainer in Alain, himself. His battling blood seems to have reinvigorated itself with the recent circumstances."

"We did offer the Elite Four position to Clemont," Lance admitted. Ash, somehow, was less surprised at that than at any other piece of information. "However, he turned it down, stating that he's right where he wants to be in improving the lives of people and Pokémon, even saying that he hopes to one day drag those in the shadows back into the light. Ambitious young man."

"I think they're all great choices," Ash said, nodding his head with sharp agreement. However, at his words, Cynthia's eyes seemed to twinkle. Dawn and May clearly began to feel like they were intruding, and they took off, leaving Ash standing with the three Champions while others milled around, getting their foods.

"It wasn't the only thing we'd decided on," the blond Champion of Sinnoh spoke. Once more, Ash grew confused at her words, and Cynthia giggled out a little, while Steven and Lance laughed a bit behind her. She placed her hands behind her back and continued on with what she wanted to say. "There are a lot of regions out there; some that aren't even affiliated with the League. Maybe they want to be, or maybe knowing more about them will enrich our own cultures and livelihood, expanding the horizons of all trainers. So, we decided to create a liaison position: someone who can travel to these other regions, learn more about them and their cultures and bring it back here, joining us all as one.

"I can think of no one more suited to the position than you, Ash."

"Me?" Ash asked in surprise, now looking to Pikachu, who likewise hadn't expected it. They blinked at each other before turning back to look at the gathered Champions, all of them smiling softly. "But…why me?"

"You're a traveler," Lance insisted. There was no denying that, so Ash folded his arms and listened to what the red-haired man had to say. "The liaison position would afford those travels for you, just in a new way. It would allow you to battle all sorts of trainers and new Pokémon, and at the end of the day, would allow you to return home. We gave a lot of thought to it, considering we very much want you to be part of the bright future that we and others hope to create."

"I think it's very fitting for a Pokémon Master, yes?" Cynthia asked. Ash now looked directly at her, the offer still rocking him a bit. Yet, even as he looked to Serena, now speaking with Mairin and Alain, the seemingly new Elite Four member shooting quick looks to him, the idea was thrilling him. A challenge of traveling and battling new people and Pokémon, while still being able to be at home with his wife. "Maybe a little more restraining than some of your usual travels, considering you'd have to report back, but the freedom and what we all could accomplish would be worth it, as well as the ability to battle the best of the best. Even us Champions, if need be."

"Pikachu, what do you think?" Ash asked of his best friend. Pikachu placed a paw to his chin, and then grinned.

"Pikapi, pika!" Pikachu agreed, and he leapt up to slap his tail against Ash's.

"We'll take it!" Ash responded with a grin, soon reaching forward to hold his hand out to Cynthia. The blonde took it and smiled.

"It'll still take a bit of time to get the position in order, and I have to rearrange some things in the Sinnoh League," Cynthia insisted, turning to the table and grabbing a plate. Ash watched her a moment longer while Steven and Lance moved off to meet with some of the other trainers there. "I had been thinking about retiring and handing the reins to Paul, but with Diantha's death, I'll hold on for a little longer. Bertha seems ready to fully retire, however, and since I was going to offer Paul my position, I think he'll fit in well as a member of the Elite Four. Your own position will be a middle ground between us and them. Hope you're okay with that."

"It's fine with me!" Ash indicated, throwing his hands behind his head with a grin.

"Excellent. Now, which of these victuals should I have…hmm…" Knowing that Cynthia would be a while, Ash decided to return to mingling at the feast, the light of his new direction filling him with a certain happiness, something that even Serena seemed to be showing as she chatted around.

There was certainly a great number of people to chat with. Most of them seemed to have a direction set for them, solidified by the battle they had all taken part in. Cilan and Iris seemed to be returning home, planning to either retake or inherit their gyms, while Misty declared to Ash that she would make the Cerulean Gym the number one gym in Kanto. Ash had no doubt of that. Meanwhile, it seemed that Brock was planning to go on a trip around all the regions that had suffered damage, Aria at his side.

"With Serena's initiative," the former Kalos Queen had said, "I want to try and further the care of Pokémon. Brock is wonderful at it…and I wouldn't mind spending more time with him. He's quite the handsome man, isn't he?"

"Did you hear that, Ash? ! I'm handsome!  _Handsome!_ " Brock cried out joyously, making Ash rather amused. Croagunk looked horribly disappointed. "Don't worry, my queen! I shall treat you like the royalty you are!"

"Just don't get  _too_  excited," Ash noted, eyeing Croagunk before moving on with a chuckle. Brock reacted incredulously, but seemed to let him go with this rather knowing grin. It was a grin that was wiped off his face, replaced with a dazed expression as Aria reached up and gave a soft, chaste kiss to his lips. Ash laughed a bit.

Actually, now that Ash thought about it, there were a  _lot_  of knowing grins directed his way when it came to his friends. The only ones that didn't were those such as Paul and Kahili, the two glaring daggers at one another, as though hoping to settle the score now that they were both Elite Four members. Otherwise, even Sawyer seemed to be looking Ash over, like he was wondering if the raven-haired trainer was passing out. That didn't last long, however, before Miette slapped him for gawking. It was only at that moment that Ash realized she was wearing a ring that hadn't been there before, but since she didn't bring it up, he didn't press upon the subject.

At some point, Ash just decided to ask Clemont about what was going on. "Do you know why everyone's staring at me with weird grins?"

"No. Why?" Clemont asked in response. Next to him, Korrina and Bonnie facepalmed, but Ash shrugged it off, slinging an arm around Clemont.

"Must be nothing!" he replied with a grin. Clemont nodded in agreement, the two bumping fists. Ash chatted with the engaged couple a little longer, while Bonnie flashed another knowing grin and then disappeared to seemingly taunt a red-faced Max. Before long, the two young men finished their conversation about Ash's newly accepted role with the League (something Clemont excitedly rambled on about), and the raven-haired trainer went back to mingling with the various groups.

The only one that seemed to be standing on her own was Astrid, eating slowly as she watched everyone. She, at least, wasn't giving him a knowing look as he stood next to her. It did, however, become very apparent what was on her mind. "Can't believe Rocky's gone…"

"You cared a lot about him, huh?" Ash asked. In the shimmering lights, Ash's eyes caught sight of the castle in the distance, and he felt a yearning to go there, but instead decided to spend his moment with the blonde, her Absol snoozing next to her.

"I did. Didn't want to admit it, and now it's too late," Astrid sighed out, throwing the rest of her food in her mouth and swallowing. "But I don't regret a single moment of it, and I don't think he does either. He was able to get Bonnie and those there out safe, and that's good enough to me. He wanted to propose, you know?"

"Were you two even dating?" Ash asked. He still wasn't an expert on all things romantic, but he was pretty sure that stage came before the whole proposal thing. That was how he had done it, at least. Astrid laughed at that.

"Rocky was unconventional sometimes. I liked that about him," Astrid admitted. She turned her head towards Ash with a rather crooked grin. "Now, I'll just need to live on for him. Mind having a traveling buddy? I'll need something to get my mind off of it, and train myself up. Word's already spreading about your new League position, so I thought…"

"I don't mind at all. It'll be fun!" Ash confirmed, throwing his hand up and clasping hers in agreement. There was still a little pain in Astrid's eyes, but already, she was beginning to rapidly heal. Thinking on that, Ash's mind was pulled, once more and inexorably, towards Ancien Castle, and the spot where one person had finally begun to heal, herself.

Without even thinking about it, Ash moved on autopilot, exiting from the stadium before anyone really knew he was gone. There were some other farewells to be had, such as Maka and Keoni, who would be leaving hand in hand to start on a film relief project for Ancien the next day, but for the most part, Ash's movement went unhindered. Pikachu remained at his side while he walked through the still damaged city, crossing over to the square and then up the hill to where Ancien Castle sat, already mostly repaired from the damage caused. He didn't head inside, but decided to just watch it, while in the distance, already, the sky appeared to be lightening with the first rays of the sunrise.

"Thank you, Zinnia," Ash whispered out. Pikachu heard it, his ears twitching while his head bowed in reverence. "I hope…I hope you'll continue to do well. And maybe we'll see each other again, if Burnet and Gary's theory is anything to believe."

"Nin," called the sudden voice of Greninja. Ash turned around, and could see all of his Pokémon there, having followed him one-by-one from the feast to join him. Each of them had survived, become stronger, and were ready to take on any challenge together for the future. Even Latias hung above, inserting herself between the others with a grin. At the front were those Pokémon he had traveled with through Kalos, the four of them looking up at the castle, remembering the day that had truly solidified themselves as a team.

"But we're not stopping here, you guys," Ash announced to them all, throwing his hands out. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder to join with his comrades, all of them grinning with anticipation and determination. "There are a lot more places to go, and people to battle and Pokémon to discover. We're gonna do it all! Together!"

"Just don't forget  _me_ , Ash," laughed Serena's voice, and Ash could finally see his wife trudging up the hill with her usual soft smile. Her own Pokémon were trailing after her to join with Ash's.

"Like I ever could, Serena! You'll be with me…if you want, of course." She finished her ascent and came to stand at his side. Before Ash knew it, his wife had touched his face and leaned in for a kiss that lasted quite a while.

"There's no other answer," she whispered, before she drew back, her hand gripping to the blue ribbon that had been the symbol of their relationship all these years. That same hand slid down, before touching to her stomach. "And we won't be alone, no matter what the adventure is, at home or abroad. I'm not talking about our Pokémon, either."

"Uh…" Ash wasn't quite sure what to say, reaching up to scratch at his head. Pikachu facepalmed, while Greninja shook his head. Charizard's own head tilted in confusion, while Bayleef turned away, like she knew something he didn't. Ash just blinked. "What do you mean, then?"

Serena let out a laugh, one that echoed around the castle grounds as the sun suddenly shined over the horizon, illuminating her angelic figure. She stepped forward without answering, taking hold of his hand and pressing it to her stomach with her. "I mean, we're about to be a family of three humans."

Ash's eyes grew wide, and he stared at her face, and then down to her hand, and then up to her face again as she smiled. He began to tremble a bit, and he couldn't believe that there were tears leaking at the corners of his eyes. His mind flashed back, through all of it: Zinnia, Seamus, Team Neo and Dalton, Michael, his own father's death, his victories and defeats in Alola, caring for Lillie as a lost child, and his burning blow against Deirdre. All of that was a past chapter now, Serena's announcement ushering in a bright new future. The grin sprouted on his face, and he suddenly grabbed her, holding her up as he kissed her.

"I love that!" he yelled out, his own voice now echoing outwards. "I love us together! Our moments together! I love the kid we're gonna have! And I love you Serena, for now and always into the future!"

"And I'll always love you, too, no matter where our lives take us, Ash Ketchum, perfect or imperfect," she stated. Then she completed yet another kiss while all of Ash's Pokémon cheered out.

As the sun's rays finally hit upon the city, the two expecting parents turned out to look over Ancien City with their hands clasped, the city still yet on the mend. To Ash, though, it was the promise of a new world, and a new chapter in all of their lives, all while being a reflection of the very words he'd said to Deirdre.

Because the world wasn't perfect. It wasn't all tropics and sunshine. There would always be winners and losers. There would always be those who lost their way. There would always be horrible things that happened and couldn't be stopped. It was just a part of life. Yet not everything remained at a zero. Things that were broken could be made whole again. Times that were turbulent would always calm out. No matter the trials and tribulations before them, all of them would stand together, and with a bit of teamwork, everyone could have their chance to hold on tenaciously, towards the tomorrow that went on and on.

All anyone needed to do was make the choice to step beyond despair and find who they were on their own, and as part of that larger world. And finally, at long last, Ash was certain they had won that for everyone, now and far into the future.

With his wife and Pokémon at his side, Ash stared out over Ancien City and its skyline, a rainbow tinging the sky as a promise of all they had won and secured for the future beyond.

And Ash and Serena Ketchum embarked on a new beginning, the next chapter in their lives.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so, it comes to an end. No Epilogue. No follow-up. This chapter, Chapter 26 of Tomorrow, Chapter 194 of the entire Ancienverse, is the definitive ending of a lot of things. The end of the Ancienverse, for one, but also the end of my career writing fanfiction. It's been a long ten years for me, but I think it's time. I really have to say goodbye to everyone who stuck with me, supported me even in the darkest hours of writing this series. But I'll get to that later. For now, let's talk endings.
> 
> I wanted to give a definitive ending to the series, while also that feel of a new beginning for the characters; one I choose to not elaborate on. You can feel free to imagine it yourselves. To that end, I doubt Serena's "announcement" to Ash was all that surprising to anyone (I swear, if this is all I see mentioned in reviews, I'm gonna flip), though I hope some of the other character's choices felt right to you in the new world they'd finally made, expunging Michael's stench at last. I really wanted it slightly bittersweet in a sense. Hopefully this ending was beautiful to read.
> 
> Of course, while my tenure as a writer is over, there are many others who continue on, and the Ancienverse remains open, as it were, for those who want to build on those cracks in the continuity (though, all ideas and stories would need to be run through me).
> 
> Really, though, this has been such a tremendous project for the last two years, really pushing me to my limits in the best of ways (and sometimes the worst, ha ha). Now that we're finishing on the day this all began in 2016, I have only a few words to share with you from a song I feel is most accurate in this moment, in the hopes that you'll share them with me:
> 
> And oh, where the road then takes me, I cannot tell
> 
> We came all this way, and now comes the day, to bid you farewell
> 
> And with that, in my final parting to all of you I've grown to love so much, please remember, now and forever,
> 
> Dare to Be Silly,
> 
> Epicocity


End file.
